Dark Dreams 1: Breach
by Rhea Hiryuu
Summary: SERIES DISCONTINUED PoP: Warrior Within, I have no problem with my inner demons, if only they were more INNER. It's not a good thing when your IDs have their own minds and bodies, especially when one of them sticks you in a VIDEO GAME and you have NO IDEA what you're doing!
1. Sacrosanct

_There's nothing 'inner' about MY 'inner demons'. I finally had control of all but the one who seemed to think throwing me into the Prince of Persia, Warrior Within world would be fun. My life's been full of pain, if only HE knew how good he has it... _

_Actual Summery: They're called 'inner demons', but there's nothing 'inner' about them. After making my life a living hell, I finally have control of them, all but the one who seems to think throwing me into the Prince of Persia, Warrior Within world would be fun. My life's nothing but a cruel joke, I just wish HE understood that. _

_I never asked for this, but I can't say it isn't a nice change. With a weapon like the daggertail at my side, I'm practically unstoppable! It just sucks that, though I have the power to travel through time, my sand tanks are replenished by my LIFE. How is this fair!? And how the heck am I suppose to stay alive like this!? _

_Especially when **they** would like nothing better than to see me at the bottom of a spike-pit getting some major limb piercings._

-Note: When they talk in that 'weird language' they are simply saying the phrase backwards, that means if there's a comma or any other sort of sentence break, that's what's said backwards. For example: "That's a real shame, who did you say you were?" Would be written as, "Emash laer a s'taht, erew uoy yas uoy did ohw?" Notice how the first part of the sentence and the second part are in the same places and have not been flipped.

-On the other hand, if you just don't want to bother and feel like letting it all turn into jibberish, you can do so. I probably won't put any serious plot devices in backwards language unless I just decide to be cruel like that. MUAHAHA!!!

-MUCHO IMPORTANTE NOTE!!! This fic was inspired by Prince of Persia: Gamer Within, by Sanne-chan. A hilarious fic that, if you like this one, is a MUST READ. YAY SANNE-CHAN!!!

(0)

Walk in the rain, boy  
Hurry my pale boy - run!

Talk to the screen, boy  
Splinter the green, boy - run!

And while we're waiting to feel the sunlight  
And while he's running so far from home  
And while we welcome the same old morning  
Our dreamer walks alone

Bury your spleen, boy  
Feed the machine, boy - run!

Slave to the grind, boy  
Ashgrey in mind, boy - run!

And while waiting to feel the sunlight  
And while he's running so far from home  
And while we welcome the same old mourning  
Our hero walks alone

Kill the sun,  
Kill the moon,  
Kill the stars!  
Kill the sun,  
Kill the moon,  
And your stars!

Kill me, entertain me,  
Get the hell out of your stars!  
Kill me, entertain me,  
Get the hell out of your scars!

("Breach" by Flowing Tears)

(0)

_"All you have to do is die."_

"Shut up."

_"Just like that, it could be over. All the pain, all of it gone. It would be that simple, I could help you, I could make it painless."_

"I'm sure you could. Shut up."

_"I know what you're doing, you're just trying to shrug me off. How many times do you think that's going to work darling?"_

"Yeah, didn't I tell you to _shut up_?"

_"You're still having nightmares aren't you? You could stop them, I could stop them."_

"You started them, so I know you could stop them. But I'm not killing myself, nor am I letting _you_ do it for me."

_"You sound so sure of yourself, that's cute. There are so many things that could be better with your life, it's not as though its been very good to you, why not end—"_

"Okay, that's it." I grabbed her tongue right out of her mouth and yanked it so that it stretched no less than a yard down. This demon, being 8 feet tall, had been stooping, and so grabbing her tongue wasn't that hard. "I'm letting you stretch your legs a bit, I am _not_ giving you a window, _none_ of you, got it? If you have enough time to yap, then you can just go do the dishes." I said, letting her tongue slap herself as it zipped back into her mouth. She opened her mouth, but I snapped, and it disappeared. She looked murderous, but there was nothing she could do to me.

Not anymore.

"Well, go on. I'm not above sticking you in the closet for the remainder of this little 'outing'." I told her. She then sulked away, a gray giant of a woman, with impossibly long smoke-like hair and hollow eyes, she use to terrify me when I was younger. But I know better now. She's my own inner demon, she can only hurt me if I let her.

It's other people that I worry about.

_"Can I—?"_

"No." I answered, knowing exactly what _this_ one would want to do.

_"What's the point of letting us out if you don't give us any freedom?"_ She asked.

This one looked like an overgrown doll sewn up with blue cloth, perfectly circular black holes for eyes, her mouth is sewn in a perpetual smile and she has blond curls coming out of her scalp. The other one's name was Monigan, this one was Aggle.

"You have the freedom to walk around. That enough?" I asked, handing her a broom from the closet. "You can sweep if you want something to do."

_"I just want to make you beautiful."_ She insisted, taking the broom.

"You do that every Halloween." I said sarcastically.

_"I do make you beautiful."_ She insisted, and she began sweeping up the kitchen, _"It's not my fault that the rest of the world doesn't see it as such."_

Transparent gray specters with hair covering each face gathered around me. There were 9 of them, and they had no real individuality, so they were simply the Sisters. _"We want blood!"_ They wailed, their nails digging into my skin, _"We want blood!"_

"No!" I answered flatly, waving them all away. "Go dust and straighten up the living room. _All_ of you!" I ordered.

Kroich, Tak, Sullilan, and Gamor sulked in the darkness, clearly not wanting to be given something to do. Not that this would do them much good. They were the only ones I couldn't think of something for outside of housework, all the others were off busy with one thing or another. A few of them were hunting for pearls in the Atlantic ocean, some of the less intelligent ones were giving fish baths, and probably having trouble keeping the water they'd poured _in_ the tub, and a few were in volcanoes or beneath the earth looking for precious materials. I had quite the horde already because of them, not that I really wanted it much.

I lived alone, though no one was to know that. So far as anyone knew, I was 19 and still lived with my parents. After all, they still paid my bills, they still sent me money for things like groceries and other things, and they would show up at the parent-teacher conferences and, in all appearances, I was still their daughter.

But they lived in another house. I'd been having to take care of myself for a long time now…check that, take care of myself, and _them_.

I couldn't count the times when I'd tried to do what Monigan wanted and kill myself, but a stronger, darker demon, who has no form and who I've named Sacrosanct, would never let me. Sacrosanct has no form of her own, she refuses to leave my mind, and she is too powerful for me to be able to force out. All the others I've become stronger than, and so I have power over them. But Sacrosanct is different from them all. She seems to be the ultimate, and yet she is typically the most quiet, the only one who ever lets me have any peace.

I can't control her like I can the others, and I don't like it. I already have a hard time functioning in a day-to-day life, the only reason I can anymore is because I've got the others under control.

But every time I think I've finally destroyed one of them for good, another pops up to take its place.

Sacrosanct is the darkest, but it's she that has convinced me not to give in to the others. She assures me that suicide is not the answer, it is the easy way out, and she asks me if I really think they'll leave me alone just because I'm dead?

So, how do I cope with so many Inner Demons to keep track of? That's easy; TV, books, manga, internet, and _video games_.

And Prince of Persia is one of the best games yet. _One_ of them, mind, Legend of Zelda shall always be number 1, but Prince of Persia is very high up there. The only thing that rather disturbs me is the fact that Sacrosanct has the hots for the Dark Prince in The Two Thrones, in fact, a lot of my Inner Demons whose gender leans towards female seem to have the hots for him. Monigan, Gorra, Kukarkin, Wemlast, and Fosc are just a few. Aggle doesn't like him though, go figure.

Kind of makes me glad that many of my Inner Demons have no gender, and at least _some_ of them are definitely more male than female. Kroich is a very prime example.

_"I'm not doing housework."_ He declared.

"Then grab a shovel, you can weed the yard." I told him. He glared at me and made to look like he was crossing his arms over his chest, but that's rather difficult to do when you have shoulders, hands, and nothing in between. "Go on." I ordered. He had no choice but to obey. "You go get the pool cleaned out." I told Sullilan, who's mournful expression attempted to dissuade me, but I stood firm in my resolution, and I stared him/her (no gender) and its bloodshot eyes down. It went with a moan, leaving Tak and Gamor. "Vacume the upstairs." I told Tak, "Laundry." I told Gamor.

_"And what are you going to do?"_ Tak asked scathingly, looming darkly over me.

"Play video games." I answered almost defiantly, and I sat myself down in front of the television screen to do just that.

They muttered mutinously, but there was nothing they could do. Gone where the days when they could frighten me into doing everything they wanted, when I had no control and they ran rampant in the streets. News of disaster flashing across the television, and very few people could actually see them. Then, when they wanted a break from that, they'd come back to me.

I'd sworn to myself that I wouldn't kill myself, and I wouldn't let myself be killed. Maybe it's just out of spite, maybe it's only because of Sacrosanct, maybe I've simply come to hate Monigan so much that I wouldn't do what she said if it was just to stick a Q-tip in my ear, I don't know, but for some reason, even though I had nothing to really live for, afraid of getting any sort of job, afraid of going to campus for collage rather than taking online courses, afraid of making friends only to have one of my inner demons 'toy' with them, I still lived.

I wanted out of this life. I watched the startup screen on my playstation, and all I could really think about was how much I wanted out, how much I wanted something _else_. Another life, it didn't have to be normal or anything, I just wanted to be somewhere _else_. I wanted to have _friends_, I wanted to be able to have a decent conversation with someone who wasn't on the other side of my computer screen, who didn't pop out of my head. I'd learned to live without, learned not to care very much about anything, but I wanted…I wanted so much it burned inside me like a cancer, spreading throughout my body, making my eyes water. I forced back the tears, I wouldn't cry, I didn't cry anymore, I couldn't, it only made them stronger.

I wished, I wanted, I _needed_. How much more could I take of this life? _Get me out._ I begged to any god that would listen, _GET ME OUT!!!_

**_"If that is your desire, then take it."_** Said the voice of Sacrosanct inside of my mind. I wanted to retort that I wasn't talking to _her_, but something very strange was happening.

The world around me began to shimmer and blur, it started to crumble, only the tv screen stayed the same, rock music still blaring, silver lettering asking me if I wanted to start a new game. It became bigger, until it seemed to completely engulf me.

**_"Take your different life."_** Sacrosanct told me, and I felt her cold clammy hands push me forward.

"What—Wait, no! No!!!" Fear consumed me, what was she doing!?

I suddenly decided that I would prefer to keep my life the way it was rather than trust _her_ to give me a new one.

Unfortunately, it was a bit too late.

_You cannot escape your fate._

The world went black, I felt as though I were falling through nothingness. And then Monigan was there, she had an evil smile on her face. She held a dagger up high, and drove it into my chest. The same dagger was used by Aggle, by Fosc, Tak, Gamor, Kroich, Gorra, Kukarkin, Wemlast, all over my body.

But it didn't hurt.

No, it burned, but it wasn't the kind of burning sensation that could strictly be considered pain. No, my skin tingled and became numb, like I'd just been doused in a bucket of menthol. A feeling that started from my chest, and spread throughout my body with every beat of my heart. Then a new sensation started there, like the burning, only different. As though something strong and thick were covering my skin, like an armor of some sort.

I saw images of The Two Thrones, where the prince's arm was engulfed in the Daggertail. I cried out in pain, feeling as though that were _my_ arm. The pain was immense, enough that when Monigan drove a sword all the way up my left arm, that pain wasn't so noticeable, though one would think it would hurt a lot more seeing as how the blade was _inside my skin_.

And then it began to fade away, fade into blackness, until I realized my eyes were closed. When I opened them, I screamed.

It was only then that I could.

XD

_"Let us out!!!" _

_"I'm being suffocated." _

_"Erah fo tuo em teg!" _

_"You can't keep us locked away!!!" _

"I have to pee…" 

_"Shut up! No you don't!" _

**"He's just claustrophobic." **

**"We've all got our own f(beep)ing rooms, tell him to find his own and STAY THERE!!!" **

_"That's an idea."_

"But I really have to pee…" "Htlif fo gab ouy pu thus!!!" 

I forced the door shut with a slamming sound loud enough that I knew they'd get the picture. Creating a manor full of rooms for each of them in my mind had been the best thing I'd ever done, all the ones I could control, all but Sacrosanct, could be shut up in that manor, and I could easily keep the door shut to block them out.

The problem was that the door's lock was weakened when I slept, and the more powerful ones, like Monigan, were able to push through.

I let them out on occasion because it kept them from becoming too restless in there, and when they became restless they would often gang up in order to get through the door, making it harder and harder to keep it closed. The problem was, when I let them out, they never wanted to go back in, and so it took some time for them to settle down.

I doubted they would settle down for a while, however, what with the excitement of finding myself in 'another life', thanks to Sacrosanct.

Blearily, I opened my eyes up finally, and struggled to my feet.

I immediately recognized where I was, sort of. I was in the sand chamber of the Island of Time, _a_ sand chamber. I wasn't sure which one, and I was in the 'present day'.

The problem was, I also recognized _what_ I'd suddenly been turned into.

I wasn't a sand monster, per-say, though I probably would have preferred that. No, my skin was black and tough, yet flexible. There were beautiful gold markings all over it, and my hair, which had been red and only just long enough to make a decent braid, was now a long golden chain coming out of my ponytail. Well, it wasn't _really_ a chain, but it looked like there was a spike at the end, _and_ I found myself actually able to move it at will, like an extra retractable-extendable limb had suddenly been attached to my head.

It didn't take but a moment for me to realize I also had the daggertail, not only that, but there was a sword in my arm, which I could push out of my skin and turn into what was mostly like an overgrown switchblade. I was wearing very little, a simple tub-top with a set of black spandex pants, and a decorative loincloth with boots that came up all the way to my thighs. At least it was more than _some_ of the monsters wore.

**_"Here is your new life."_** Sacrosanct told me with a laugh, **_"Look at all the weapons I gave you, could you ask for more?"_**

**_"What did you do to me!?"_** I cried, grabbing at the golden locks that were my red bangs. My eyes widened, and my hands went over my mouth. That was _not_ my voice, that was _hers_!!! Yes, perhaps there was a noticeable difference, like mine had been taken and given the same eerie, echoing sound that hers had. I'd gotten use to that voice being inside my head, but _not_ coming out of my own mouth!

**_"Exactly what you asked me to. I gave you a new life, and a new body. Let's see how well you're able to adapt to it."_** She answered mockingly, and with a laugh, she fell silent.

"You b(beep)!!!" A familiar voice yelled, and I spun around to see Shahdee running after me.

"Out of the way!" She ordered, shoving me aside.

**_"HEY!!!"_** I exclaimed, feeling anger rise, I sent the daggertail after her, but she was gone before I was able to strike. **_"Oh yeah b(beep)?!"_** I yelled, running on into the sand portal myself and practically ignoring the prince.

I didn't know why I had decided to go after Shahdee myself, until I remembered that the prince had decided to trust Kaileena because Shahdee attempted to kill her. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" after all, and since I _definitely_ looked like an enemy, I wanted to rake up as many 'friend' points as I could. I did _not_ want the prince at my throat. I may have a bunch of cool weaponry at my disposal, but that did _not_ mean I knew how to use them all. Or any of them for that matter, I had mostly a swing-and-hope-it-hits sort of strategy at the moment.

The sands surrounded me, engulfing me and lifting me up into the air. A weightlessness, accompanied by a rushing and the feeling of wind roaring around me without sound, it was a trip like no other. I watched as the ruins became whole once more, as the dim gray of the stone was revitalized into smooth yellow-gold. Golden sands all around me, entering my skin, taking me back in time.

Something bright entered the eye-shaped marking on my chest, and a single circle appeared in the iris. Somehow, I couldn't say how, but I knew it was a sand tank. How I had gotten a sand tank without any sort of item like that amulet or the dagger, I had no idea, but I wasn't going to knock it. I was going to need all the help I could get if I wanted to return to my own world.

**_"Oh but you don't, do you?"_** Sacrosanct asked as the sands let me down in the past time and I began running down the hall, following the prince's footsteps from the game and heading after the main room. **_"You spent most of your time getting lost in video games anyway, why not live in one? It's far more interesting than that dull, boring life was anyway."_**

_I don't care._ I thought, _I want to go back to my own world._

**_"Why?"_** She asked.

I didn't answer. I didn't want to think.

XP

Hi yall! Thank you for reading, there is more soon to come, I hope you enjoyed it so far though!

Before I go I thought I might use this part to create a short chapter FAQ, for questions I know you're going to ask, and, in later chapters, questions that you _do_ ask, that is if anyone decides to take time out of their days and review. And just for the heck of it. So, here we go!!!

Q: What the heck!? How did Kaida turn into Dark Prince—whatever Kaida!? And what's with the ponytail thing!?

A: Dude, you have to _ask_!? Because the Dark Prince is freak'n awesome!!! And because Kaida needed _some way_ of getting around and defending herself. If there's one thing I hate, it's a damsel that always needs a prince on a white horse (or, in this case, with a goatee and smoke'n hot bod) to come and save her. NOW IT'S THE OTHER WAY AROUND, IN YO FACE!!! BO YA!!! Okay, maybe not so much. Also, I never thought much of the smoke hair the Dark Prince had, and decided that a golden ponytail that she can use as a rope-like appendage or even a weapon (with the end blade) would be much cooler.

Q: Where did all these 'Inner Demons' come from?

A: My head.

Q: No, seriously, what the heck?

A: Before I answer that question, I have to tell you that, as a dragon, I suffer from ADOS.

Q: Don't you mean ADD?

A: Nope, ADOS, Attention Defecate—Oo Shiny! (Glomps Kaida and pins her down so she can play with shiny gold braid)

Kaida: **_I'm going to get you for this… _**

Q: How come the prince didn't automatically attack Kaida even though she went after Shahdee? She looks like his dark side had a sex change for crying out loud!

A: Yes, thank you for that mental image, we all needed that. And yeah, I know having him attack her and ask questions later would be more to his character, but if that had happened they'd have startted fighting, she wouldn't want to hurt him, and having her say 'Kakolukia!' in order to get him to lay off was used in another fic called Prince of Persia: Gamer Within, and I didn't want to take Sanne-chan's idea, even though it was Gamer Within which actually inspired this whole fic. (I LOVE YOU SANNE-CHAN!!!)

Q: Is the prince going to end up falling for Kaida as per-usual with fics like these?

A: Uh…

Kaida: **_Uh, NO!!! The prince belongs to Farah, FARAH!!! F-A-R-A-H, FARAH!!!_** (Glares at me)

A: (Begins to sweat nervously) Uh, well, you heard the lady!

Q: This chapter sucks, is it going to get better?

A: Yeah, it will. Don't worry, I have some really evil-funny stuff planned for our heroes. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Prince: Should I be afraid?

Kaida: **_Uh, YES, be very afraid. _**

Q: How come it's so easy for Kaida to do all this stuff and why does it come naturally to her like that?

A: A wizard did it.

Q: Huh? What wizard?

A: The one in my brain! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Q: Okay, two questions. What medication are you taking, and can I have some?

A: To be perfectly honest with you, it's when I'm _off_ the medication that you should be really worried. (Cackles evilly)

Well, that's it for now! Until next chapter!

_(Whispering) Pssst, review! Thank you. _


	2. Too Much Fun

Note: This is NOT an update, I have simply split the first chapter into two parts because everyone's telling me to have shorter chapters. Heheh, go figure. Therefore there WON'T be a chapter FAQ at the end. Thank you.

XP

"Wait!" A familiar voice called as I paused at one room, remembering how the prince got past it, and realizing I had none of those mad acrobatic skillz required to open the door.

**_"D(beep)it!"_** I exclaimed as a bunch of sand monsters popped up. Well, now was as good a time as any to learn how to use my new daggertail.

"You're not one of us!!!" Yelled one of the monsters, taking out their weapons.

**_"What was your first clue?"_** I snickered.

I drew out the blade from my arm, and unleashed the chain. It sang through the air, catching a number of the sand creatures and knocking them back. I felt a surge go through the daggertail, as though it, like my braid, could be directly controlled.

Growing more confident, I began to experiment a bit. It was easy! It was like I wasn't even directly controlling my body, I was on the other side of the television screen whipping out my weaponry like mad. These creatures didn't stand a chance! I was powerful, I was swift and sure.

"What are you!?" One of them demanded.

**_"To tell you the truth, I'm still trying to figure that out myself, but when I do I'll be sure to let you know. Oops! Well, that doesn't look like it's going to be an option anymore."_** I said, just as I sliced his head clean off with my sword.

I was having _way_ too much fun with this.****

Unfortunately, once all the creatures were dead, the door was still a problem. I turned to the prince for the first time, and, pretending I didn't know him, said, **_"Hey, you, do you think you can reach that switch up there?"_**

He stared at me for a minute, as though trying to figure me out, but then he looked up and began assessing the room. "I think so." He said, going over to one of the pillars and climbing up it.

**_"You know, I really want to make fun of you right now, but I'll lay off seeing as how I sincerely doubt I could do a better job."_** I told him when he screwed up and nearly died falling. Fortunately, thinking fast, I caught him before he landed too hard. I expected to fall with him, but somehow my arms were able to keep hold on him in spite of the fact they looked too small to adequately carry him.

He was mortified, and the next moment I found myself moving in reverse. The sensation of him landing in my arms went backwards, my fast-paced running rewound, all the way back until he was at a safe point.

So _that's_ what it felt like to go back in time. What a _trip_! That was better than a roller coaster!

I waited patiently for him to assess the situation, and then go.

He made it this time, and I stepped swiftly through the door and warned him it was closing fast. He got through and, after making sure he was okay, I proceeded onward.

"Hey wait!" He called, "Wha—Who are you?" He asked, catching up with me as we both dodged around the spiky pillar things.

**_"Both are reasonable questions, and neither to which I have a very satisfactory answer." _**I told him, oh-so-mysteriously.

"You're name then, and why you're here would be a good start." He answered.

**_"My name is Kaida Megowan, or simply Kaida."_** I told him.

"And why you're here?"

**_"I forgot the part where that was any of your business."_** I said. Yeah, my people skills needed a lot of work…check that, I needed people skills to begin with.

"Are you here to see the Empress?" He asked.

**_"Maybe, why?"_** I answered.

"How did you get like that?" He persisted.

**_"Questions, questions! Must you know everything? If you have to know, I'm not entirely sure myself. And yes, I would very much like to figure out how to get back to normal."_ **I told him.

We came to a place in which the only way across, was wall-run + jump. Which I couldn't do so far as I knew. I swore.

"Can that chain of yours act like a grapple?" The prince asked.

**_"Probably, but a grapple for _what_ is the problem."_** I answered, looking around. There was nothing but wall, nothing for a grapple, unless my chain could hold onto walls or a ceiling.

I decided to try latching onto the ceiling. It worked, it somehow seemed to hold onto solid wall and would only release when I willed it to. **_"Well, that's handy."_** I mused. **_"Wish me luck."_** I said, and I assessed a good spot, and flung my chain at it.

I swung at an angle towards the wall, and when I got to it, I used it to propel myself at another angle, and released myself when I was above the ground. It was quite a trip, and somehow the action came naturally to me, like figuring out the prince's moves on a controller rather than my own.

My chain sang through the air as I made short work of the sand creatures that were on the other side. "You look like you've done this before." he told me, having only one sand creature left to kill off.

**_"Thank you. I actually have no idea what I'm doing, so that's good to hear."_** I said, I then laughed at the stunned expression on his face, **_"Just kidding. I actually know this place fairly well, though don't ask me how. I'm just having to get use to this new form fairly swiftly."_** I explained as we pressed onward.

"Have you met with the Empress before?" He asked.

**_"I haven't met her personally, no."_** I answered simply. **_"If you jump off that wall it should be easy to get the switch. Though I suppose I could try myself."_** I said. I threw my chain to the ceiling above the switch, had it pull me swiftly forward, and swung so that my feet hit the switch and I did a backflip so that I could land back on the ground more gracefully.

"I _could_ have done it myself." The prince told me gruffly.

**_"I know, I never said you couldn't, I'd just prefer not to rely on you too much."_** I answered as we ran swiftly through the door.

"There she is!" The prince exclaimed, and, sure enough, Shahdee's mostly-naked form was flying up the stairs, which gave way just as the prince ran across them. He caught himself at the edge, but Shahdee crushed his hand under his boot, and he plummeted.

I had, of course, stayed put, and now Shahdee's attention was on me, and she frowned. "Who are _you_? You're not one of us!" She exclaimed.

**_"Go figure."_** I responded, and I threw my chain at the ceiling above her, which was a very long distance, I hadn't really expected it to catch hold. **_"I suggest you run."_** I told her, and she did so with a look of fear in her eyes.

I knew the prince was alright, and that he'd be making his way straight towards the throne room, so I needn't worry about him. I swung my way over to the other side, and went after Shahdee.

So far when the prince and I had battled, and sand had come our way we had split it between the two of us. One part of the sand would go to the prince, and one to me. I didn't quite understand why, I had only one sand tank and I'd yet to use it, but the prince hadn't complained about only getting half a sand-tank with me. Perhaps he didn't, perhaps the sands didn't work that way. But after battling a few more monsters and breaking pots for more sand, just for the heck of it and because using my chain on them was so much fun was good practice, I glanced down at the mark on my chest, and noticed that there was a little round sphere there, like the one you saw in the first game while collecting sand clouds. But I wasn't collecting sand clouds, I was collecting the sand itself, and still the circle was growing. Somehow I could sense it, the change was faint, but it was there when I destroyed another bottle. Slowly but surely, I was collecting sand, for a sand tank. Which was awesome, don't get me wrong, but…for what price?

I hadn't thought about it before, but shouldn't I be loosing my health due to this form? I wasn't dying, that much I could tell, I was pretty sure I'd be able to figure it out if I was slowly loosing my health, but I was in contact with sand so much, was that really right?

**_"Oh very well,"_** Sacrosanct said, sounding amused at my struggles to understand. **_"I'll tell you. Yes, you will loose health, but not over time. You're health will be used to replenish your sand tanks, whether you want it to be or not. Not much, mind, but once the chain makes a full circle, unless you've found more health boosts by then, it will cost you everything to regenerate them. But, think about it, you're not going to end up with only seven like the prince. It'll be more like 14 for you. That's a lot of sand, and you'll obtain all his abilities soon enough. I believe that's more than a fair trade don't you?" _**

**_"No, not really."_** I answered, feeling uncomfortable. It wasn't as though I had a choice in the matter after all. The more sand I got from monsters and the like, the more sand tanks I would acquire, until I finally filled up that circle. I could always avoid using the sands, but would I be able to do that? Would I be able to resist the temptation?

**_"Oh, right, I forgot to mention. You remember those crescent tanks the prince used to freeze his enemies in Sands of Time? Well, you'll get something similar to those too."_** Sacrosanct told me.

I stopped dead in my tracks, **_"WHAT!?!?!?"_** I exclaimed, grabbing at my side-locks.

**_"I suggest you really start looking for those health upgrades, you're going to need them."_** Her voice faded away laughing before becoming silent.

I was screwed. I had to find out how to get back to my own body! I did _not_ want to find myself at the mercy of that next bout of sand just because I'd been stupid enough to use all that I had already. It was _not_ something I looked forward to, and I could already see the vicious cycle that I could get stuck in. I would die attempting to find that sand, and then I would rewind time before I died, which would only hurt because that would create one more sand tank to regenerate using my health.

I was going to have to be extremely careful with this if I wanted to survive. Which seemed ironic, because it had been Sacrosanct to put me into this form. That suggested that there _was_ a way to change back if I had to, because she wanted me alive, she'd always been very clear on that. She wouldn't put me in a situation where death was imminent, that was more Monigan's thing.

Speaking of which…

_"Well now, doesn't **this** look like fun!"_ her voice said beside me as I hung off a ledge, needing to do some quick chain-action in order to get around the corner. I'd discovered that I could latch on to several places one after another while still in the air, I just wished that I had a daggertail on my other arm so it'd be easier, and it was probably Sacrosanct's own power that made me as good as I was at doing this already. Monigan was the _last one_ I needed right now.

**_"Just who said you could come out?"_** I demanded, glaring at her. She was up against the wall, not worried about anything because _she_ could actually stick to these surfaces. Not that it would hurt her if she fell, she'd just teleport to a safer place.

_"You're distractions are weakening the hold you have on that door of yours. And by the way, I like the new look, it seems to suite you, or Sacrosanct in any case. I wonder if that's her body she stuck you into."_ She said, _"Aggle would like it." _

**_"I know Aggle would like it, Aggle would like to turn my hair into snakes and say it made me look beautiful if I let her."_** I answered, **_"Now, unless you're going to make yourself useful and help me out, I'm sending you back inside. I don't need you distracting…me…hm,"_** I mused, looking at her. Her grin fell.

_"What are you thinking?"_ She demanded, leering at me suspiciously.

**_"Only that it'd be easier using _you_ to get across this bottomless pit than my chain."_** I answered.

_"Oh no you don't, if you think you can just—gak!"_ She exclaimed, unable to get anything else out due to the fact that I wound my chain around her neck. I yanked on it, and she came flying over towards the ground I was standing on. She landed hard beside me, her face flat against the hard stone floor, and before she got up, I got on her back, using my chain to keep hold of her around the neck.

I spread my consciousness into her form, and felt my lower torso seem to meld into her, and I could feel her own limbs as though they were my own. She fought, but that didn't last for very long before she realized it was no use. **_"You were saying?"_** I asked, snickering as I took a handful of her hair with my left hand.

_"Stop being so adorable, or we may have to beat the prince off you with a bat."_ She told me as I began using her body to jump from wall to wall, halfway walking along it with her ability to stick to it like a magnet. _"Or maybe a whip, he might like that better."_ She chuckled darkly.

**_"Yeah, I doubt he's into that sort of thing."_** I told her, rolling my eyes.

On the other side of the hole a number of sand creatures readied for battle, but one swipe of Monigan's arm sent them up against the wall, and destroyed their bodies almost _too_ easily. _"Hey,"_ She complained, _"I want to have some of the fun!" _

**_"No way, next thing I know you'll jump right down that pit just to spite me, I'm not giving you that much control."_** I told her.

_"You don't have to."_ She grumbled, and I could tell she _really_ wanted to at least be able to do some of the fighting, _"You can still direct where we go, I just want to have some control over my arms! Come on, I promise I'll be good!"_ She begged.

**_"Fine, but any tricks…"_** I warned, and I released my hold on her movements, keeping enough control to where she couldn't go anywhere she wanted, just to move around to better get at the monsters.

We found ourselves in the hall which entered the room before the one Shadee was headed. I didn't see the prince at first, but Monigan did, and he saw her, and attacked.

"You will be honored to die by my sword!" He exclaimed, but Monigan swiped his attempted strike away with ease, and pushed him back into the wall.

_"Die?"_ She laughed uproariously, _"Not by your hand, Prince. No mortal can kill me."_ She said.

"I wonder how many times I've heard _that_ line!" The prince laughed, getting into a guarding position.

**_"Enough!"_** I exclaimed, and I used the chain still around Monigan's neck to swing down from her back. **_"As for no mortal being able to kill you,"_** I snarled at her, **_"That remains to be seen."_** I said, yanking on the chain just so she'd choke.

_"Ah, but I don't consider you quite mortal my dear."_ She said, crouching down, partially because of the hold I had around her neck, and partly so she could put an arm around my shoulders like some buddy, _"I mean, all those times you should have died and you never quite managed it. The time when I shoved you off that building is the biggest proof of this. No, you, you are a freak of nature. You always have been, in fact, the only difference is that now you finally look the part!"_ She said, and she started laughing like a lunatic.

**_"Yes, she's always like that."_** I told the Prince's questioning look, rolling my eyes. **_"I might get a bit more angry, if she didn't do it all the time. As it is,"_** I set my left fist up against her head and shot the sword right through it, causing her laughter to turn into a shout of pain as black blood oozed out of the wounds and I took the sword back into my wrist. **_"Now you listen here, I do not need you distracting me. You can come out, when I say you can come out. You seem to keep forgetting how much control I have over you now, all of you. So far as I am concerned, I'm your god. Now, back to the Manor with you, and stay there if you don't want me putting you to work."_** I ordered, releasing my chain from around her neck. She gave me a very ugly look, as well as the finger, but it wasn't like she had a choice and she disappeared into the shadows.

_Now all I had to do was explain _this_ to princey over here. Oh goody._

XP

Nope, no chapter FAQ this time (see top a/n for reason why)


	3. The Darkness Embrace

A/N I tend to keep the real author notes at the end of chapters, so this space shall be devoted to shiny things!!!

Coins, bracelets, swords, medallions, necklaces, anklets, chokers, sapphires, topazes, rubies, amber, diamonds, amethysts, emeralds, rings, earrings, nose rings, eyebrow rings, belly button rings, pendants, lip rings, pins, eyes, polished finger nails, watch faces, skin that's been waxed too many times, hair, mirrors, light bulbs, fire, Bible page edges, pocket knives, pocket tool sets, metal nail files, CDs, keys, polished plaques, polished picture frames, freshly produced photographs, Lysol cans, Saruman's Staff, Gandalf's staff, the One Ring, any of the rings, Harry Potter's glasses, crystal balls, kaleidoscopes, magnifying lenses, glowing sand-chamber buttons, teeth, the Dagger of Time, the Ocarina of Time, the Spiritual Stones, spoons, forks, knives…

XP

"What _was_ that giant woman?" Asked the Prince.

**_"I was honestly hoping you'd never have the misfortune of meeting her. Her name is Monigan, and she's…well, do you know what an 'inner demon' is?"_** I asked.

"No, I do not, but I think I might have the idea simply from the name. Is that what she is?" He asked.

**_"Yes, she's my inner demon, or rather, she's one of them. I have many, but Monigan's one of the more powerful ones, which is probably because she's the one I hate the most._**

****

**_"Basically, an inner demon is the term used for something in your mind which causes negative feelings. Rage, anguish, suffering, panic, it's supposedly metaphorical, being used to describe a type of demonic possession that is self-induced, as in, not really a demonic possession. Everyone has their own inner demons, but most people can't even hear them past their own thoughts telling them to do something immoral. Mine on the other hand, are special."_** I said, spitting out the word with a sour look on my face, _**"They not only have voices of their own, but bodies of their own, thoughts of their own, and goals of their own. They have frightening powers as well, and it's not just a matter of me being crazy, unfortunately. I rather wish I were crazy, because then they couldn't hurt other people. You saw Monigan, you felt Monigan swipe you away. I was using her to get here, because I can't do those wall runs like you can, and all she has to do to get rid of those sand monsters is throw them against the wall. It's very easy for her." **_

"If that is the case, what's the harm in using her, or any of the others, to help you?" The prince asked. "You seemed to have enough control over her."

**_"Uh, because I hate her? Look, forget it, I don't expect you to understand. I only told you so you wouldn't keep harping on me about what she was anyway."_** I said, turning from him and moving into that main room.

"I'm still not sure I understand." He said, following me. "If she's not here, then where is she?"

**_"My mind. That's where they all are presently."_** I answered.

"There are people, er, _monsters_ in your _mind_?" He asked, "And you expect me to believe you? No, tell me truthfully, what is she and _where_ is she?" He all but ordered, looking irritated.

**_"Fine then, but even if I were lying, which I don't see why in the world I would, I don't see how it's any business of yours who, what, or where she is."_** I told him, not liking the way he was talking down to me.

"I am the Prince of Persia. And I think I have a right to know who you are and where, exactly, you came from." He told me, his eyes narrowed and his lips in a stern line.

**_"And I'm Tutankhamen, the King of Egypt, and you can just go f(beep) yourself for all I care."_** I answered in a cloyingly cheerful voice that got his blood boiling. Smooth Kaida, very smooth.

Yeah, I really needed some people skills…

"Now you listen here, woman!" He rorared, and he attempted to grab me by the collar, but the problem was that I had no real collar, so his hand went for my hair instead, which I dodged quite easily, jumping out of his way.

**_"Oh don't go trying to use my gender as an insult, that has to be the most overdone method of irritating the female race in the entire cosmos. Think of something a bit more creative, won't you?"_** I said, rolling my eyes, though I'm not sure how much of the gesture was caught seeing as how my eyes were probably just like the Dark Prince's, gold and without pupils.

"Okay, how about harlot?" He sneered.

**_"Oh gasp!"_** I exclaimed, placing a dramatic hand to my chest, **_"No one has ever called me that before! I think I'm going to faint." _**

"My father taught me never to strike a woman, but you neither act nor appear like any woman I've known and I am _this close_—"

**_"What, are you serious?"_** I demanded, putting my hands on my hips, **_"You'd just attack me, just like that?" _**

"What reason have I to believe you're my ally anyway?" He asked me, crossing his hands over his chest.

**_"You filthy hypocrite!"_** I exclaimed, outraged, **_"You refuse to believe me when I told you about Monigan, and now you're going to run me through because I refuse to believe that you're the Prince of Persia?"_** I demanded.

"No, I am being tempted to _strike_ you because you are being so disrespectful and uncouth!" He answered angrily.

**_"And how do you expect me to respect you when you haven't shown me any respect yourself?"_** I asked, putting my hands on my hips.

"_I_ am the future King of Babylon! And what are you? A common girl cursed with this sand form? Why should I respect you?" He demanded.

**_"I guess for someone like you there's no reason to."_** I said, and I turned on my heel and stalked out into the main room.

"Just wait!" He ordered, grabbing my shoulders and spinning me around, holding me so that I was forced to face him, "I'm not finished with you, you—"

**_"GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!!!"_** I all but screamed. The next thing I knew, he was flying, bodily, towards the wall along the same wall whose hallway we just left. He hit it, hard, and slumped to the ground, coughing and choking up blood. **_"Don't touch me…"_** I panted, feeling something crawl up my stomach and into my throat. **_"Don't TOUCH me!!!"_** I exclaimed, grabbing at my gold bangs as he struggled to his feet, taking out his swords.

My face felt hot, I felt as though all the blood was rushing up to my head, making it feel as if it were about to explode. And something cold and clammy began to wrap itself loosely around me, around my arms, my legs, around my middle, everywhere. I was being engulfed in a black mist, and I realized, too late, that the door to the Manor had been opened.

And out came Kagero, a white mask with nothing but glowing violet holes for the eyes which move to give him more expression. At the sight of him, the Prince froze in place, his expression, as well, was frozen, as though he were fighting hard against showing the fear he felt while looking upon _this_ demon.

**_"No."_** I said.

**"Cute."** He murmured in my ear, **"I haven't even said anything, and you're denying it already. You always assume the worst of me, don't you?" **

**_"I don't assume, I know."_** I answered, closing my eyes so I didn't have to look at him. **_"Get back in the Manor."_** I ordered, and I hated myself for the way my voice shook as I said this.

**"I can't go back, you still need me, Kaida."** He murmured, switching shoulders. **"You are my god, Kaida, you have complete control over me. If you really wanted me back in the Manor, I would still be there. But you need me, don't try to deny it. I have always been your greatest source of comfort, haven't I?"** He cooed, and the smoke that surrounded me held me tighter, almost like a mother's embrace, but lifeless…empty, and cold, as always. **"We don't need him, Kaida, _you_ don't need him. When have you ever needed anyone? And when has anyone ever been able to help you? When have they even _wanted_ to? Forget him, Kaida, forget them all. Forget what you left behind and focus on the now, and what you could become. Think about it, in an instant, I could have this self-proclaimed prince at your knees, begging you for his very _soul_." **

**_"Nnngh, STOP IT!!!"_** I exclaimed, struggling out of his grip, cutting myself out with the blade from my wrist, and scrambling away from him, **_"Now you listen to me!!!"_** I ordered, and the mist hovered, the mask staring at me with slight surprise, **_"You can't control me like that anymore, I know better now. All the pretty words and assurances, they were lies, all of them! Trusting you has always lead me deeper and deeper into misery, and gone are the days when you could frighten me into doing everything you wanted!" _**

**"My dear, my intention has _never_ been to frighten you, I—"** But I cut him off, hooking my left fist around and sending my blade out to pierce the white mask in the forehead.

**_"You're so full of s(beep)."_** I said, and this time I threw him into the Manor myself, and I slammed the door shut.

I didn't wait for the prince to react, I didn't want to answer his questions, didn't want to see the expression on his face. I sent my chain over to the balcony through which I could get into the Alter Room, and pulled myself up to it.

"Wait!" the prince called, and I hesitated before going through the red curtain. Did I _want_ to hear this? Did I want to know what he was going to say? What could he possibly have to say?

I hated this, I hated that he'd seen all of that, hated that he'd seen my weaknesses, watched me struggle like that, watched Kagero's attempts to tempt me, and his boasts of power and greatness…which were not boasts at all, really, but truth. He _was_ powerful, almost as powerful as Monigan, and it was my own d(beep) fault too, because I use to trust him when I was a child, trust in the only demon that pretended to love me like a parent might. Afraid to make him angry, afraid to break our little 'kinship', I'd done what he said, I'd listened to him, and it had never done me any good whatsoever.

I didn't like the prince had seen, no, I _hated_, I _loathed_ the fact that the prince had seen, so much that it made my stomach churn. What if he believed Kagero's claims? What if he decided to take the demon for his word, that Kagero could have him on his knees, could terrify him the way the Dahaka never could. I'd been forced to watch plenty of people go mad in Kagero's clutches, it was almost as horrible to watch as it was to experience. And I had experienced it before, I knew what he would go through. The only reason _I_ still lived…was because of Sacrosanct.

But I turned, I wasn't sure what made me, but I turned, and glared down at where the prince was looking up, waiting for me to come back, **_"What?"_** I demanded, though my heart wasn't in it, **_"What do you want now? Going to ask me what that one was? Going to demand to know the truth when I tell you? What!? What do you want from me!?" _**

"You're assistance." He answered simply, and I stared at him, surprised. "I can see how I could climb up there myself." He said, gesturing around the room, "But it would be much easier if you could simply throw down your chain and let me climb it. And…I would be grateful for it." He told me.

For a moment, I simply stared at him, and he stared back up at me, his expression steady. Then, **_"Alright."_** I said, **_"But if you try climbing the daggertail, I'm afraid you'll loose your hands. Here."_** I grabbed at my braid, and it immediately lengthened considerably, so that I was able to toss it over the edge, and hold it while the prince climbed up and came over the rail.

XD

We got to the Alter Room just in time, Shahdee and Kaileena were locked, and Kaileena was loosing. "H-help me!" She gasped at us, just as Shahdee pushed her off the edge.

**_"Hey b(beep)!!!"_** I yelled, and Shahdee actually jumped and looked around with a slightly fearful expression on her face, having recognized my voice, **_"Guess who!"_** I laughed.

"You, what _are_ you!?!?" She demanded fearfully, running to dodge my daggertail as it shot towards her.

"You're going to pay for what you did to my ship and crew!" The prince exclaimed, lunging for her. "Leave her to me!" He told me.

**_"Fine, let me rescue the damsel in distress, I have no problem with this."_** I said, slightly sarcastic. **_"Just don't kiss me, I'm not into that."_** I told Kaileena, taking her arms and hoisting her up onto solid ground.

She was staring at me with a look of confusion and fear, and when I pulled her up and let go of her, she stepped back from me until her back was to one of those spike-like structures that surrounded this area. "What, what _are_ you? _Who_ are you!? What are you doing here?!" She gasped out, looking almost close to panicking.

I frowned at her, then said in a low voice, **_"What, you don't know either? D(beep)it! I was hoping that you, of all people, might be able to tell me that." _**

She stared at me, "What do you mean?" She murmured, and then she turned, Shahdee was attempting to lunge forward and throw her off again, but I stepped in front of Kaileena and kicked her back so that she fell, giving the Prince an opening.

**_"I know you'd rather he not know the truth, so I'll keep my mouth shut, but I need your help. If you can't tell that much, I'm not suppose to be like this, I'm as human as he is. Or at least, I was born that way. Not so sure anymore. But still."_** I told her.

"Again, _what_ are you? It isn't just that you're in this form, there's something about you that prevents me from Seeing anything past your appearance. If you know who I am, then you know my power, and so far as _it_ is concerned, _you_ don't exist." She told me, keeping an eye on the battle to make sure neither Shahdee nor the Prince even knew we were talking.

**_"Wonderful."_** I said, throwing my hands in the air. **_"I don't believe this, what am I suppose to do, I don't want to look like this for the rest of my life!" _**

"Sorry, but I have my own problems to deal with right now." She told me through gritted teeth, her eyes on the prince.

**_"Look, if you can help me, then I'll do my best to help you."_** I told her.

"If you want to help me, make sure _he_ dies." She said in an undertone.

**_"He doesn't have to die, and neither do you. No, I know exactly what you've seen in the timeline, and you're wrong to think it can't be changed. It can, I know it can whether you believe me or not. I'm proof of that, just look at me. You never saw me in the timeline did you? It can be changed."_** I told her.

She looked at me, the battle now forgotten, and she searched my eyes. "Give me your hand." She said, and I did so. She studied my coal-black palm, and the golden markings upon it, "I recognize these designs." She said, "And…I think I can help you. But you have to promise, I don't know that I believe you can change my fate, but if you can, you have to promise me that you will. You seem so sure of your claims, and I don't see what it would cost me to help you."

It was then that Shahdee fell, and the prince came over to us. "Are you alright?" he asked, and it was hard to tell whether he was talking to me or Kaileena, but, seeing as _I_ hadn't been the one who nearly fell to her, ahem, 'death' (I didn't believe for one second that Kaileena was in any real danger. The woman could _teleport_ for the love of god! It was only a façade), so I looked at her as well.

She didn't seem pleased, "I'm fine." She walked past him, "You should not have come here."

"Wait!" He said, going after her, "I seek an audience with the Empress."

"The Empress meets with no one, who do you think you are?" She asked.

"I am the Prince of Persia. And this, if you don't know already, is Kaida. She and I both seek the Empress."

"I see. But this is a very important time, she cannot be disturbed. And the Empress has no love for the world of men. She'll kill you if she knows you're here." She said.

**_"I have the funny feeling she already knows we're here, and is trying to do just that."_** I commented. **_"What?!"_** I exclaimed at Kaileena's incredulous look.

"You…fool…" Gasped Shahdee's form, "You cannot, change, your fate." And she disappeared into a cloud of sand.

"LOOK OUT!!!" The prince cried, but I was already a step ahead of him. I grabbed Kaileena and jumped out of the way of the rock. "Wait there, I'll find a way to you!" He told us.

"No prince, you must leave this place and never return!" She told him. She then turned to me, "You, you _I_ will be able to help. Without disturbing the Empress."

**_"Alright."_** I said, nodding. **_"See yah when you get over here."_** I told the prince, following Kaileena to the hourglass room.

"Hey wait!" He called after me incredulously. "You could at least help me get over there!!!"

**_"You don't need my help!"_** I returned, just as incredulously. **_"Help yourself you overgrown baby!!!"_** He let out a cry of protest, but I ignored it.

Once out of the prince's vision, Kaileena teleported the two of us into the hourglass room and it was only then that she asked me the question I knew she was burning to know. "Now that we can speak more freely, mind telling me who you are and exactly where you came from?"

**_"Well, I'll tell you what I can. My name is Kaida Megowan and I'm, well, I came from another world, like you I guess, if that's the case. But unlike you I'm empress of nothing, and all I really want is to get back to my original form, and my home. I don't know what helping you and Princey back there will do for me, but I'd rather be doing something."_** I told her.

Kaileena's expression softened when she heard this, and I could see…sympathy, in her eyes, no, more than that. It was rather odd, "You and I," She said, "Are more alike than you know. This," She spread her arms out wide, "Is not my true form either. And, yes, I am from another world. But I'm afraid there is no way you can return to your own world, I have searched for centuries for mine, until my powers of travel were completely extinguished. I don't know what all you know about me, not this much, I can see it in your eyes. I'm stuck here in this world for the rest of eternity, I've been here so long that I've forgotten how to travel through the worlds. But even if you found out for yourself, there are far too many for you to find your own again. I've been through thousands, and not one of them my own."

**_"Thousands?"_** I breathed faintly, feeling myself grow dizzy so that I had to sit down on the hard ground, staring at my black and gold hands. **_"Thousands?" _**

"And there are even more." She told me, standing beside me. "However, the reason I cannot take my own true form in this world, is because doing so would mean death for me. And I don't want to die, as you likely understand. But you, you are different, I can help you." She turned, and she climbed up the ladder to the hourglass, where the serpent sword lay. She let the sword clatter noisily to the ground, and opened up the hourglass. She stuck her hand inside it, and the sands at the top swirled up to meet her, gathered in her palm, and stayed there as she pulled them back out and climbed back down the ladder with it in her hand.

I stood up, curious, and she held out her fist to me, dropping something cool and golden into my palm. **_"A ring?"_** I breathed, examining it.

"I'm afraid it's the best I can do. If you put on this ring, you will regain your human form, but only temporarily." She told me.

I frowned, gave her a piercing look, and stared back at the ring in my hand. Something very familiar was appearing on it, all around the golden band. **_"'One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, one ring to take them all, and in the darkness bind them.'"_** I said, repeating from memory rather than from what was actually written there. **_"You're freak'n kidding me! I'm not putting this on!!! And how the heck did you get this thing!? So far as I know, it's suppose to have been destroyed!!! What's it doing in your possession!?" _**

She grinned at me wryly, "I guess I'm not surprised you know about that world yourself. Well, rather than let such an artifact be destroyed, I decided to, ah, 'rescue' it. It's as good as destroyed, being in another world, so I didn't see the harm." She told me, "And ordinarily, I would say that yes, it _would be_ a bad idea to put it on. But I've…_improved_ it for you. When you put it on, you will regain your form, but, again, only for a short while. Right now the ring is fairly weak, I would strongly suggest taking it off and putting it on regularly, the more you use it the stronger it'll become. Eventually you won't have to take it off at all except for when you want to return to this form. Unfortunately, I'm afraid some…ah, characteristics of this form will pass over." She explained.

I sighed, **_"Right. Well, I'll take it. It's better than I expected, in all honesty."_** I said, slipping the ring into a pocket, where it seemed to simply disappear into some impossible inventory. Well, if there was one thing I'd always wanted more than anything else in the video game world, it was _that_.

XP

Greetings minions! It is now time for the end-of-chapter FAQ!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Q: Why'd you have to make the prince a jerk in this chapter?

A: Because it was closer to his character than making him all sorry and concerned for Kaida. That would have been painful to watch.

Q: First Monigan and now this Kagero character? What the heck!? What's the deal with _him_!?

A: He's a temptation demon which, in my own opinion, are of the most dangerous inner demons for anyone.

Q: The Inner Demon stuff is being over done, you suck, she has too many demons, you're making her invincible!

A: Inner Demons are numerous for everyone, some have more than others, and Kaida just happens to have a lot. Also, she's not invincible, stupid, she's in control, but she sometimes doesn't have _complete_ control over herself. Kagero is the best example of that. Also, don't worry, her Inner Demons are largely just plot foils, many of them aren't going to have a very big part in the story, and the parts they do have will, likely, be either for dramatic effect, or funny, because we must have funny _somewhere_, right?

Q: What's the deal, how come Kaida doesn't like being touched?

A: Because skin is nasty and gross and she has enough of it on her already.

Q: Is Kaida a self-insertion character? Is there something about you we should know?

A: Oh _heck no_! Kaida is very different from me for many reasons. If I was in her shoes, I would have gotten myself killed by now. With or without the daggertail.

Q: The chapters suddenly got cut in half, what the heck!?

A: A lot of people suggested I write shorter chapters, so, there you go!

Q: What's the deal with the Lord of the Rings crossover!?

A: Simple, the One Ring is shiny, it's in my shinies list, and I like shinies!

Q: Okay, what's the deal with shinies?

A: I thought I answered that in the last FAQ, I am a dragon, therefore I suffer from ADOS, Attention Defecate, OO SHINY!!! (Glomps Kaida once again and starts playing with her hair)

Kaida: **_ARE YOU DONE YET!?_**

Well, that's all for now. I hope the next FAQ is a bit funnier. Send me some questions!!! I need more material!!!

Ja


	4. Silver Tears

A/N: I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts, dedlidee, there they are standing in a row, bum bum bum, big ones small ones some as big as your head, just give 'em a flick, a twist of the wrist, that's what the showman said!

XP

"Are you…friendly, with that prince?" Kaileena asked me.

**_"In a manner of speaking. We only met…probably an hour ago chasing her royal b(beep)iness Shahdee."_** I answered.

"Why were _you_ chasing her?" She questioned.

**_"She shoved me." _**

"That's it?"

**_"And I don't like her." _**

"Oh well that explains _everything_!" She said, throwing her hands in the air. But then she sighed and went to sit down on the staircase. "Do you think he'll come for you?" She asked.

**_"For me? Heck no. For the 'Empress', yes, definitely."_** I answered, walking over to join her.

"You sound as though you know him well enough."

**_"Well, I kind of do. Just like I know you well enough already, though not as much about you as him."_** I told her.

"Is there anything that will dissuade him?" She asked.

**_"Nope. Nothing whatsoever. He's more stubborn than a mule, and just as selfish."_** I answered without hesitation.

"I can still try…" She murmured.

**_"…You know, you can change your fate."_** I told her.

"Says the child with no experience in the matter." She snorted.

**_"What makes you so sure I have no experience?"_** I demanded.

"You are far too young, you can't expect me to believe you truly know what you're talking about." She told me.

**_"I may not be as old as you are, but I'm not a child. And maybe I don't know what I'm talking about, maybe I'm just mouthing off my own beliefs which have no real power in any case. But in my opinion, what a person believes is often the most powerful factor in their lives. If you believe you cannot change your fate, then you can't, it's that simple. But you're trying, if you didn't believe you could, you wouldn't be trying so hard to defy what you've seen in the Timeline."_** I said.

"Oh yes!" She laughed derisively, "If I simply _believe_ that I can change my fate, I can! How silly of me, I should have thought of this before!" She shook her head, "If only it _were_ that simple."

**_"Listen, it isn't…it isn't fair!"_** I exploded, standing up, unable to sit still, unable to hold it in anymore.

"What, that I'm going to die?" She asked.

**_"No, it isn't fair that, that you're fated to die here! This, this isn't your world, you're only here because you were trying to find your world, and you got stuck. Why, then, why should you have to die for this world? What right does the Timeline of this world have to make you die in order to create the Sands of Time!?"_** I exclaimed, pacing back and forth, finding myself having to wipe away silver gossamer from my eyes. Great, well at least my tears were pretty, even if the rest of me wasn't so nice to look at. **_"It isn't fair! I don't see how the 'fate' of this world can get up the nerve to make you die, to use you like this! There just doesn't seem to be any point to it!? Why should the Sands of Time even exist if the Dahaka's just going to kill anyone who uses it? If using them just messes everything up?! I don't get it, you're right, I don't understand! I don't understand why you have to die for no reason!!!"_** I thundered.

"You're…you're crying…for me?" Kaileena murmured as I wiped away another bout of silver tears.

**_"Yes, yes maybe I am."_** I answered, my voice shaky and choked with sobs I couldn't quite understand, **_"I'm just so angry…There's no point to it, none at all."_** I turned to her, **_"I'm not telling you to change your fate, I'm telling you to defy it!" _**

She shook her head, "Impossible…" She said.

**_"If you believed that, you wouldn't be trying to do just that."_** I told her. **_"'You cannot change your fate', 'you cannot change your fate'! I don't believe that, and neither does the prince. For that, I admire him, even if his intentions are purely selfish. At least he's doing all he can." _**

"He's still here, he isn't dead. Tell me how I can change my fate if, even through all this, he will not die?" She asked, standing up herself. The sands in the hourglass swirled furiously when she touched it, and I saw the image of the prince, running for his life away from the Dahaka in 'present' time.

**_"That's up to you."_** I told her. I was mad at her, mad that she refused to listen to me. I thought about telling her he was only going to kill her because she presented herself as his enemy, but something held me back. Not sure what, perhaps part of me still wanted the storyline to play out, still wanted the prince to go through the motions, and I wanted to be apart of it this time.

Kaileena let the sands fall with a deep sigh, and she turned to me, "Tell me about your world, while we wait for your precious prince."

I allowed myself to relax, and settled down to tell her what I could while waiting for him.

XD

"There you are!" Said the prince, rolling into the room with us. He glared at me, obviously he didn't appreciate me deserting him like that. He probably thought he could count on me for support or something. Imagine that! "Funny, you don't _look_ any different." He said, he looked a bit bruised and he went over to one of the fountains in order to recover his health.

I rolled my eyes at him, **_"Ha, ha, very funny. It's only a temporary fix."_** I said, showing him the ring. **_"I have to wear it, and it won't last forever, I'll have to take it back off fairly often." _**

"So I guess the two of you have been having a nice leisurely chat while I was gone?" He asked, eyeing Kaileena and I suspiciously. Kaileena simply stared back impassively, the serpent sword held lazily in her hand, but she needn't react anyhow. His jive was directed at me.

**_"You seem upset, or simply irritated because you thought you could count on some extra help. Well, sorry, but I'm not too fond of the Dahaka myself, and would much prefer not to come face-to-face with it…ever."_** I told him.

He seemed a bit taken aback by this, but recovered himself, "How did you get here without any trouble? _I_ had to go forward in time just so I could get past a few key parts."

**_"Sucker for details aren't we? Must you know everything? You already know my deep dark secret, or secrets if you want to think of it that way, what's it to you how we got here without trouble? What if Kaileena knows the place that she lives in a bit better than you do?"_** I asked.

He decided to ignore this jive, and put his hands on his hips, "Well?"

**_"Uh, well what?" _**

"Does that ring actually work?" He asked, looking irate and impatient.

**_"So you came all this way just to see what I really look like? I'm honored. Well I haven't tried it yet, but I suppose I might as well now that I have an audience."_** I stood up and slipped the gold band onto my ring finger, because that just seemed to be the right place for it somehow.

There was a delay for about a second, and then…pain shot through my chest, a burning, choking pain that made my heart slow down to nothing. The world around me spun, my head, my limbs, I felt like there was too much blood in my body, like I was going to burst. The feeling you get when someone chokes you just the right amount for a long time, that was all over me, everywhere, along with the pain in my chest, and the feeling that something was strangling me.

**_"On!"_** Sacrosanct yelled through my mouth, **_"Hcitb gnilddem ouy!!! Siht rof llik ll'I!!! Gniodnu rouy eb lliw ohw I si ti, eid lliw ouy ecaf ym ees ouy yad eht dna!!!" _**

I felt as though my skin was being stripped right off of me, with every slow beat of my heart, another layer came off, until, finally, after a second that lasted for eternity, I fell onto hard stone ground, and my bodily functions returned to the way they were _suppose_ to be.

Two faces were looming over me, and I was quite disoriented, and still in quite a bit of pain. "Ugh…either of you catch the license plate of that _buss_?" I asked.

"I find it amazing that you can make jokes after _that_." Kaileena said, clearly shaken, as the prince helped me to my feet.

"Which one was _that_ and what did she say?" He asked me in my ear.

"Later." I answered, waving him away.

Kaileena frowned, and opened her mouth, "Nomed yranidor on saw taht." She told me.

"Oh hell." I groaned, "Reh dootsredun ouy?" I asked with a grimace.

"Sey." She answered.

"Yes, if you haven't already figured it out, she is one of my inner demons. _Her_ name is Sacrosanct, and she's the one who turned me into that creature in the first place. Hey, Prince boy, I can _stand_ thanks." I told him, taking my arm from his grip, which hadn't left me. "And helping me change back obviously made her mad. Don't worry, she might be the most powerful, but she doesn't have a form of her own…I don't think, so she won't be able to hurt you…I hope."

"You sound so sure of yourself!!!" Kaileena exclaimed, taking several steps away from me, clearly unnerved by whatever she'd seen.

"I'm sorry." I said, my expression softening. I took a step towards her, holding my hands out. "I didn't know she would do that, I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, you didn't have any control over it." The prince said, putting a hand on my shoulder, which I shrugged off.

"Yeah, well, that's the problem isn't it? I _didn't_ have any control, I wasn't able to keep her quiet, was I? Sacrosanct is the only one I can't control completely, and if she wants Kaileena dead for this," I waved the hand with the ring in front of him, "Then we have a problem, a big problem. And what's worse is I don't understand why she's so mad. It isn't as though this is permanent, the moment I take this ring off I go back to my other form, and, according to Kaileena, I can't keep it on for very long either. Not yet anyway. Still, Sacrosanct isn't usually one who tries to interfere with my life, she typically stays in the shadows of my mind, uncontrollable, but un-controll_ing_, and docile." I began chewing on my thumb nail, "I don't understand why she's doing this though…"

"I've heard of inner demons which could take on bodies of their own." Said Kaileena, and I immediately spun, staring at her with wide eyes.

"You _have_?!" I exclaimed, rounding on her with an incredulous look on her face. I wanted to yell at her for not having told me sooner when she pressured me into revealing the fact that my inner demons made my life hell. I mean, what the heck!?

"Yes…but there's nothing I can do for you there." She said, holding her hands out to me. "I've only heard bits and pieces of that, that such a thing is rare, but that it does happen to one out of hundreds of worlds. And everything I've heard has the victim dying at a very early age. The fact that you're alive at the age you are…" She shrugged, "It means that you must be much, much stronger than all the others."

I decided not to bust out laughing at that notion, like I desperately wanted to, and simply nodded. Yes, she could think that if she liked. It was a bald-faced _lie_, seeing as I'd tried to commit suicide countless times, but she could believe it if she liked. "Sounds good to me." I said.

"You should leave this place now, the both of you." Kaileena said looking wary, "There's nothing more I can do for you." She told me, "Though…it was nice having someone to talk to, other than sand monsters."

"I'm afraid that _I_ don't have…the luxury." The Prince said. My this all sounded familiar. "Please, you may have been able to help Kaida, but _I_ must speak with the Empress herself. And perhaps the Empress could do more for her than you." Oh the irony of that statement.

"You're a fool then. When the last of the sands fall from that hourglass, the Empress will create the Sands of Time. No business of yours can be as important as that." She told him, trying her best to dissuade him, but she wasn't going to succeed.

"I must stop the Empress from creating the Sands." He told her.

"Then yours is a fool's errand. The creation of the Sands of Time was foretold in the Timeline, it cannot be stopped." She told him.

"Bull(beep)." I spat, and the two of them looked at me, "I don't know who this 'timeline' person is, but the moment I find him he's getting a very nasty letter from myself. There is no single set future, time isn't like a river that flows in a single direction. It bends, it forks, separating in an infinite number of different ways constantly. There are millions of possible futures, and the Empress does not _have_ to create the sands. Therefore, the creation of the Sands of Time, _can_, in fact, be stopped."

Kaileena stared at me, her expression hidden from the prince, it was one that said, quite plainly, she was exasperated with me for my insistence, but that she also hoped to _gods_ that there was even a small, itty bitty chance I was right. "If you're honest with yourself," I said, "I don't think you want the Sands of Time to be created anymore than the prince does." Oh look, more irony.

"Maybe not." She said, looking away and turning from both of us, "But I'd like to see you try and stop it. Who do you think you are, that you can defy fate?" She asked me, frowning.

"It's not who I think I am, but what I think. I don't believe in 'fate'. I don't believe that fate is what dictates our actions, we are. Our futures are set by the choices that we make, not by some higher power." I looked at her for a moment, and then said, "Uoy did, spahrep, ymene sih sa flesrouy tneserp uoy llik ot gniog s'eh nosaer eht taht kinth ot pots?" Kaileena looked taken aback by this, so I went on, "Ygolohtym ni emit eht lla ti ees I. Egdelwonk sti ot gnitcaer snrecnoc ti esoht ot eud ylelos si ysehporp a fo gnillifluf eht. Taht touba kniht." I told her.

"Alright, what are you saying!?" The prince demanded, "What language are you speaking?"

"It doesn't matter, you should be thanking her." Kaileena paced for a moment, fingering the serpent blade, "There's only one way to open the door and meet with the Empress. You have to undo the very fortifications of the castle, an impossible task." She gave me a sideways look, "However…The gate is controlled by an elaborate clockwork system located inside the Mechanical Tower. Even assuming you can reach the device and activate it, the machine still needs power. As water passes through the moat, the machine will receive power. But first you will have to fill the moat from the supply in the Garden Tower. Activate both towers and the door will open. You'll need this, It's more than just a weapon. It also serves to activate a system of bridges which will grant you access to the other towers." She handed the Serpent blade to the prince. "It won't make a difference, though."

"What do you mean?" he asked her.

"Succeed or fail the outcome is the same. You will not stop the Sands from being created. What is written in the timeline cannot be changed." The Prince was undaunted.

"Thanks for the advice."

"Stubborn about that, aren't we?" I asked, frowning.

"No, _I'm_ realistic. Maybe you should think about your own stubborn views." She answered. "Are you going with him then?" She asked, trying to sound casual, but I could sense that she preferred me to stay. Was she so starved for company that she'd accept a 'child' continuously telling her she could defy fate?

"Maybe, maybe I want to prove to you and the Empress both that fate is not set in stone. You did help me, and I know you don't want the sands to be made either, so I'm going to help you if it kills me."

"It just might." She warned me. She gave me one last look, wishing I might reconsider, and then she left the prince and I alone.

"I don't want you to put yourself into any danger, you got what you came here for, sort of. You don't have to help me." The prince told me.

"Excuse me? It took you _how long_ to get here? Freak'n forever! _I'm_ the one with a wide range of Inner Demons at my beck and call, _I_ should be worrying about _you_." I said, rounding on him, "You're reckless, and stupid, and a selfish git. You _need_ me."

"I _what_?" He demanded, looking incredulous at this notion. "I do not! I got here just fine without your help!" He said. Oh look it! Someone has pride issues.

"Oh yeah? If your trip here was so swell, how come you're in such a foul temper?" I asked, smirking, letting my hip jut out with a hand on it. "Admit it, you kept thinking throughout the entire thing how much easier it would have been if I had stuck around to help, weren't you?" I could tell I was right, but he wasn't going to admit it if it killed him.

"No! I was angry because, because…"

"Because I'm right?"

"No! Because you called me an overgrown baby!" He said. Oh he _so_ thought of that on the spot.

"Oh I'm _sorry_," I said sarcastically, "I didn't know that such a childish insult would hurt you so much. Did I awaken suppressed memories of being bullied by the other kids with shinier swords?" I asked in a sugary sweet voice.

"Even if that were true, at least _my_ bullies don't come out of my own _head_!" He shot at me, and the next moment he seemed to loose his nerve, thinking he must have gone too far.

I, however, didn't care, "So you're admitting that you _had_ bullies." I said, quite cheerfully.

He just looked at me, "No, I didn't." He said, but his voice lost its vigor. "Look, I didn't—"

"I swear, Prince, if you're about to say that you 'didn't mean it', I am going to hit you as hard as these week little girly arms possibly _can_. Because you _did_ mean it, and, you know what? I don't care! No, I'm serious…oh _come on_!" I exclaimed, pulling on my bangs, "Alright, let's get one thing straight, I don't need your sympathy, okay? _Or_ your pity! So you can stop feeling sorry for me and start arguing back g(beep)d(beep)it!!!" I yelled at him in frustration.

"You're crying." He said, his voice was dead.

"I'm, _what_?! No I'm not!" I exclaimed, shocked. I touched my cheek, and found out he was right. I _was_ crying. I swore, loudly and furiously. "Alright, fine, I am crying, but it's not because of this." I told him, though he knew I was lying.

He put a hand on my shoulder, "Kaida, I'm—"

I shrugged off his hand, "Okay, seriously, stop that." I told him, backing away, "If you're trying to comfort me, that's not going to work. I don't like being touched, alright? It's not because I'm refusing your help, and it's not because I don't like you or anything, I just don't like being touched." I dried my eyes.

"Why won't you let me help you?" He almost demanded, looking like he wanted nothing better than to hit me right now for this.

"Why should I?" I asked, "What, you think you _can_? Don't you think you should be worrying about your _own_ problems? That's why you're here, isn't it? You don't want to die, so you have to stop the Empress from creating the sands, and to do that, you should be focusing a little less on female water-works and a little more on getting the door open." Gods, why, _why_ did I have to start crying!? I wasn't even sure _why_ I was crying…

Well, maybe it was because the first person to ever show concern, to ever stick around in spit of their fear after seeing something like Kagero…was a character that I knew was selfish and conceded, and already had a love interest. The same character that had somehow understood how I felt about him seeing Kagero, that had realized the best thing to do would be to act as though none of that had happened, and pretend that he'd simply decided to ask for my help because he recognized my abilities in that sand form. The same character that wasn't suppose to care for anyone but himself, wasn't suppose to give me more than a second glance, wasn't suppose to worry about me, to even care…Why did he care? Actually, I'm not sure he did, it was more that I was one of the only human beings in this fortress of monsters, and he wanted to keep me going with him for that reason. For that bit of companionship that I could give him, whether it was particularly enjoyable or not.

"Just go." I told him, turning my back on him, "I'll catch you up when I've gotten control of myself." I said.

I waited until I knew he was gone, saw the door close behind him, and then I crumbled in front of the hourglass, and cried.

And cried, and cried, until I thought I might cry out all the rest of my body fluids and turn into salt if I didn't stop.

XP

Kaida: Hang on a minute, I'm CRYING!? What the crap!? And in front of _him_ too!!! That's not cool man!!!

Prince: You're telling _me_.

Rhea: Well you've gotta show us a _little_ emotion now and again…

Kaida: I HAVE ENOUGH EMOTION AS IT IS!!!

Rhea: Eeep! Okay, okay, I'm _sorry_! (Backs away cautiously) I don't feel like doing the end of chapter FAQ, so this time, Monigan's going to do it!

Kaida/Prince: WHAT!?!?

Monigan: _YES!!!_

Q: How come Kaida doesn't like Shahdee?

A: _No idea, you'll have to ask **her** that._

Kaida: She's a b(beep)!!!

Q: How come the author bleeps all the cuss words out like that?

A:_ That's not her, it's Aggle, and she just likes the sound the bleeper makes._

Prince: I've been wondering about that myself…

Q: What's with the silver tears deal? Why aren't they blood instead as per-usual?

A: _Good question, blood would have looked cooler. I guess the author just didn't want to be so cliché in that._

Q: Why does Sacrosanct want Kaileena dead?

A: _I don't know and I'm not about to ask her. She scares the crap outta those of us who are aware she exists. We're not stupid enough to mess with her. _

Q: Why was Kaida crying?

A: _Because she's a big baby and a nervous wreck. She use to cry all the time, it was so cute, but she doesn't do it very much anymore. I'm glad that's changing. _

Kaida: HEY!!!

Q: Is Kaida going to be able to convince Kaileena she can change her fate?

A: _No idea, we'll just have to wait and see._

Q: Why was the prince REALLY mad when Kaida went with Kaileena rather than help him out?

A: _Because he's so in love with Kaida already that he doesn't want to go a second without her._

Prince: ExcUSE me!? I AM NOT!!!

Kaida: Yeah! He's in love with Farah you dolt!!!

Prince: 0.0, HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT!?

Kaida: Do you _really_ want me to answer that?

Q: How come the prince suddenly got all caring and stuff when Kaida started crying in front of him?

A: _Because he's a man, and men can't handle crying women. It's something in the makeup of their brains that prevents that from being a possibility. They turn to putty, it's like a defense mechanism in the makeup of the human gene._

Kaida: Oh, is _that_ what happened?

A: _No, I'm lying, he's in love with you._

Prince/Kaida: I/HE AM/IS NOT!!!

Q: I'm starting to like Monigan for some reason, is that wrong?

A: _Not at all! I am a very likable demon, you simply can't **help** but fall in love with me! _

Kaida: HA!!!

Well, that's it for now! Reviews are appreciated, as always!


	5. Bless You

A/N: (Singing to the tune of Greensleaves) Alas, my dear, now you've come too near/ to your heart's great desiiiiire/ you see that now you've gone a foul/ and should not have lit that fiiiiiire.

Taken off a tombstone in the ADV version of Kings Quest II: Romancing the Stones. XD

XP

Those certain characteristics that Kaileena had warned me about concerning what would transfer over between forms, turned out to include certain black markings that took the place of those golden ones on my skin when it was black rather than tan. The one on my chest, on my right arm, and there was one on my belly button, probably just to keep me from being boring. I couldn't see my back, but there were probably some markings there too.

Also, the sword in my left arm that came out of my wrist? I had two of those now, and no longer had the daggertail. This, above all, _sucked_. The daggertail was the one thing I was hopping to keep out of everything, firstly, because it was the most awesome weapon in the world, and secondly because I needed it to get around, being unable to do wall-runs or swing off polls without it. I doubted very much that this wasn't Sacrosanct's doing, making sure that I would have to use my other form just to get past certain areas. I felt thwarted, but at least I had _some_ weapons, that was better than nothing. Then I'd need my other form just to fight, and might as well not use this one at all then.

Since I was alone, I did attempt a wall run…only to immediately feel very, _very_ glad that I _was_ alone, and no one else saw me land squarely on my butt. I refreshed myself with the water, and then, sighing in defeat, pulled the ring off my finger.

The transition back was not nearly as painful, but I did feel myself hover weightlessly in the air, like I had when the sands brought me to this timeline. The burning sensation was back, spreading from my chest to the rest of my body, turning it charcoal black with golden markings all over. The ring itself disappeared into my inventory, and, taking a deep breath, I left the hourglass room to find the prince.

I remembered what Sacrosanct told me about my health, and decided that, though it would take a while, I had better go back and get the health upgrades that the prince had gotten before all of this. Thankfully, I knew exactly where they were, having played the game obsessively several times. The first one I got was the one which you could reach through the main room, with the switch that you turned to get to the other parts of the castle. I deduced by its current direction that the prince had decided to get the Mechanical Tower working first. Good, he'd be wandering around that place forever, plenty of time to get the upgrades and catch him up before he got himself into trouble, as I knew he would because, of course, he needed me.

Heheh, yeah, okay, I _was_ a bit full of myself, hard not to be when you've lived most of your life with only yourself and your Inner Demons to talk to.

**_"This is pointless!"_** Sacrosanct hissed when I _finally_ got through all the traps and found the upgrade. Rather than being a large disk on the wall, it was faintly glowing blue orb that seemed to be dripping with liquid light. When I took it, it entered my body, and I could see through the mark on my chest how it had raised my health.

**_"You have a better idea?"_** I snapped back.

**_"Yes, I do, in fact. Use the others."_** She answered.

**_"What?" _**

****

**_"The others! Monigan, Aggle, Kroich, all of them, use them to get the upgrades so you don't have to!"_** She answered.

I was rather taken aback by this idea, why hadn't I thought of that? **_"Don't answer that."_** I told Sacrosanct before she could.

So I summoned them out. Monigan, Kroich, Sullian, Kukarkin, Gorra, and The Sisters. **_"I need all the health upgrades prior to this one. Actually, make that all the upgrades. Go get them."_** And they did so.

They knew what I wanted, what I required, and, oddly enough, they were happy to go and get it. Apparently desperate to stretch their legs and get some action, Monigan especially. They weren't bound by walls either, so when I returned to the main room in order to go after the prince, I had only gone a few rooms when The Sisters came back with theirs.

_"Blood!!!"_ They cried out at once, and they converged upon the monsters I was struggling to fight against using my human form, mostly for practice so I could get use to fighting with two switchblades whose length I could control up to a certain point.

Apparently they got some blood out of those creatures, and apparently these creatures needed blood themselves, because when they took it, they simply turned into sand, which was drawn into my body.

Another sand tank was created, but it was empty. Not that that mattered while I was in my human form, I just needed to fill it up the normal way, which I preferred to this new way of Sacrosanct's.

I tried to get them to go back into The Manor, but they made such a fuss that I decided it couldn't hurt to have some help. Warrior Within had always focused a bit more on combat than I really liked, it was only one of my favorites because of the intense story line. The problem was that when Monigan got back, she too wanted a bit of the action, and all the others right along with her. But now there wasn't really enough action to pass around. I mean, sure, I appreciated the help, but seriously. They were starting to squabble over the kills, all the while the sand creatures were taking one look at the lot of them, and attempting to run for their very existence.

I decided I'd hitch a ride with Kakurkin. She possessed the form of a succubus, with those bat-like wings, deathly blue skin, and long black hair. She had the tail of a gargoyle, and feet to match, but everything else was the form of a perfectly shaped woman. Still, in spite of the Shahdee-worthy outfit she wore, she could fly, and flying was _good_. Taskol might have been a better choice for something to ride, though. He had the shape of an eastern dragon, long and snake-like with claws. He was black with bits of red, like hardened lava, but rather than looking totally like a dragon, he had a face on the flat spade-shaped head, and that tended to creep me out more than you might think, so I really preferred he stayed out of sight at all times.

It was like having my own little army, and it made things a bit too easy. It was almost boring, but at the same time I had to keep them all in check. I didn't want them to do anything without knowing what it was.

Soon enough we found the prince, or rather, he found _us_ once again.

He had raised his sword to attack Kroich, who only had to move slightly to the left for it to cut through the thin air that replaced his arm. He didn't have any neck either, so a head strike didn't help the prince either. Kroich threw him back against the wall, and Gorra got mad at this. _"No! That's our prince! You leave him alone!!!"_ She hissed, grabbing his torso and tossing it across the room. It took a moment before his hands, feet, and head followed.

I was dropped by Kakurkin, who also rushed over to the prince, whose eyes had just found Monigan's figure, and were filled with sudden understanding. **"Did he hurt you prince?"** She cooed, helping him up and snuggling up to him when he was finally standing. Gorra also slithered over and snaked her arms around his other arm.

I wanted to laugh, but I did feel sorry for the Prince. His expression of uncomfortable horror was definitely warranted. First with the succubus on one hand, and Gorra, who was a horned naga with smoky red hair and red eyes, one of which didn't have _anything_ on over their breasts, not that they needed it, and the other with very little.

_"Someone's got a fan club."_ Monigan chuckled.

_"What's with you women!?!?"_ Kroich demanded angrily, stalking over and shaking his fists, _"I'm ten times the man he is!"_

"Kroich!" I said, hands on my hips, "Please reconsider that statement, because if I have to burst out laughing at the utter idiocy of that sentence, I'm afraid I'm going to crack five of my ribs." I told him. "Like it or not, you are _not_ the sexiest thing on the planet!"

_"Pft! You just don't have any taste in men."_ He snapped, waving me off almost prissily.

"You have no limbs!" I exclaimed.

_"Don't hate me because I'm beautiful."_ He retorted.

_"Don't listen to her."_ Monigan said, crouching next to him, _"She's just jealous, it's not everyone that can be as beautiful as you."_ She said silkily.

"Monigan!" I exclaimed, "Stop that right now. An inner demon is not allowed to become the inner demon of _another_ inner demon! That's how you end up _breeding_!"

"A LITTLE HELP OVER HERE!!!" The prince yelled, and I saw him running away from Gorra and Kakurkin. And, due to the fact that he was having to hold on to his leather breast plate, they had been trying to get him out of it.

"GORRA, KUKARKIN!!! WHAT THE CRAP!?" I demanded, stalking over to where they'd frozen in mid-chase, trying to look innocent. The prince came up behind me, desperately trying to get his leather back on right.

_"I'm, too sexy for my shirt, too sexy for my shirt, so sexy that it hurts."_ Kroich began singing, swaggering around with Monigan next to him as he did, in fact, peal off his tight muscle shirt, revealing white skin beneath with faintly defined muscles. I slapped myself in the face.

"Uh…Kaida?" The prince tapped my shoulder lightly, and I looked to find The Sisters were all converging upon the Prince.

_"Blood," "Pure," "Rich blood," "No sand" "Must" "Have" "Blood!"_

**"No! Bad Sisters, don't touch our prince!!!"** Kukarkin exclaimed, standing in between us and The Sisters. With a foul, inhuman shriek, they attacked Kukarkin, who screamed out profanities at them.

**"I have to pee…"** Sullian moaned tearfully.

_"I'm, too sexy for my—"_

"ENOUGH!!!" I bellowed, causing them all to freeze in place. "Back into The Manor, ALL OF YOU!!!" I yelled. And in one swift, soundless wave, they were all gone, and I slammed the door shut in The Manor. "I need, to kill something." I huffed, my switchblades extending into daggers.

"I know you don't want my sympathy, but how about my condolences?" The prince asked, cringing and rubbing at his skin as though trying to rid himself of the memory of Kukarkin and Gorra.

"That's just another fancy word for pity, but fine. I should have known better than to let them out like that for so long. The moment something breaks the monotony of whatever it is they're doing, like your arrival for instance, all hell breaks loose. Sorry about Gorra and Kukarkin, by the way." I told him.

"Bless you." He said, automatically.

"That's her _name_." I said, snickering.

"Oh, right…well, I would say that they'd be handy to keep around, but after _that_ mess, I can see why you prefer not to rely on their help." He told me.

"Exactly. Now can we please stop standing around talking and go find something to kill?" I asked.

"After you." He said, showing me through the door.

After several sand creatures fell victim to our attacks, he gave my arms a sideways look, "That looks…very painful." He said.

I looked down as the blades disappeared into my arms. There was an ugly red bruise across each place where they came out two inches below my wrist, swelling and looking like identical gnashes that got infected. I hadn't really thought about it before, but when I pushed the swords out, it really _did_ look painful. "I guess it is a little." I confessed, "I hadn't really noticed, I've got a fairly high pain tolerance." Comes with being tortured as a child. But I decided not to add that bit; it would sound a bit too melodramatic.

We came into an area where several of those exploding dogs converged on us, and I tried to warn the prince what they did, while kicking my own dog off the edge of the platform, but it exploded in his face, sending him reeling back off the platform.

One look at his face told me he had exhausted his supply of sand, so now it was my turn to shine. It felt different doing it myself than having him do it, my chest hummed with power as that mark seemed to be burning as I pulled time backward, bringing him back up to the time before he was thrown off, and just before I kicked my own dog off the platform myself.

Once again the exploding dog fell down, but this time the prince had the sense to listen to my warning and was able to get away from the blast. "You have the power to go back in time too!?" He exclaimed just as I dug both swords into the last dog, twisted around so that it was lifted above my head, and flung it off the platform while spreading my swords apart at the same time, kicking just as it fell before me.

"Yep, what's the matter, you jealous?" I asked, grinning.

"No, just amazed. What artifact are you using?" He asked me.

"No artifact." I said, taping the mark on my chest. "Don't ask me how, because I have no idea myself. I only have two sand tanks, though. Why do you think the sand went to both of us? The thing is, in my other form I am able to regenerate my sand tanks, but it costs me life force, and I don't have a choice. So if I get too many sand tanks, use them all, and suddenly find myself in that other form, I could die, and, obviously, I'd rather _not_." I explained.

His eyes widened, he understood. "I see, so that's why you prefer this form, is it?" He asked.

"That, and I'm prettier this way, don't you think?" I asked with a sweet voice, bending over slightly in a rather seductive manner so that my cleavage was quite visible. I then straightened up again and laughed at his expression, it was _priceless_, "Just kidding, you don't have to answer that." I said snickering.

"Did you _have_ to do that?" He asked in a pained voice, following me with a hand to his face.

"Why not? It's so much fun to—ah!" I gasped, grasping my hand.

"What, what is it?" He asked, rushing over to me.

"I guess it's time to take this off." I said, pain was searing through the finger on which the golden band kept me in this form. I slipped it off and put it away. Felt the characteristic burning in my chest as it lifted me up, changing me into the sand creature I had first found myself as in this world. **_"At least it's easier like this."_** I said, tossing the ring into the air, catching it, and putting it away. I jerked forward, feeling a sharp pain as my life force was drawn into my second sand tank in order to replenish it. I rubbed it, grimacing, **_"Yeah, too much of that and I'm done for."_**

"Just don't use your sands if you can help it." He told me. "This way." He turned, but I didn't.

**_"No, this way,"_** I said, facing another direction, **_"We'll be going in circles if we go that way. Trust me."_** I had done it many, many times before, pulling my hair out in frustration and crying to the heavens, 'LET ME OUT OF THIS CURSED PLACE!!!' Yeah, I wasn't likely to forget that experience.

"Are you sure?" He asked me, frowning.

**_"Yes, I'm sure."_**

"How?" He asked.

**_"I have a map of this place tattooed on my butt. Would you like to see it? Nope, didn't think so. Stop asking stupid questions."_** I told him, **_"What tha…"_** I looked up, and there was the Sand Wraith.

"What do you want from me!?" The prince roared suddenly. The wraith's eyes seemed to bore into my own for some reason, I couldn't understand why, and he disappeared.

**_"What was that all about?"_** I asked, as if I didn't know.

"That figure's been stalking me since we got here. I don't know what it is or why." The prince answered, grinding his teeth.

**_"Let's see if we can catch him."_** I suggested, pointing up at the area the wraith had disappeared to. We had to go there anyway, heheheh.

The giant annoying beast was there when we reached that room, big surprise, and because I hated these things so very, very much, however with two they were far more easily manageable, especially with the daggertail.

I hadn't realized just how much stronger I was in this form until I got the daggertail around the creature's neck, and actually pulled it down to its knees with only two or three jerks of it, giving the prince a very large opening. The beast tried to struggle and get the prince off, but I had him just as occupied with my daggertail, yanking it in different directions as I ran a different way than what he wanted to go. It only took one shot, and the prince crushed the beasts skull in with his sword.

"Maybe I don't need your help," The prince said as the sand came to the two of us, "But I sure do appreciate it."

**_"Just as I appreciate yours, Prince."_** I said, **_"You have no idea how much I loath those things."_**

The wraith forgotten, we pressed onward.

XP

Prince: I feel so dirty…

Kukarkin: **Oh you know you want it prince. **(Snuggles up to him)

Prince: 0.0, RAPE! RAPE!!!

Kaida: (Smacks forehead) KUKARKIN!!!

Rhea: Bless you.

Kaida: You know that joke's just going to get old if you don't quite that.

Rhea: Sorry, couldn't resist XD. So who wants to do the end of chapter FAQ this time around?

Everyone: (Raises hand)

Monigan: _Me! Me! Pick me!!!_

Aggle: _Waaaaaaaah!!! You did it last time, let someone else have a turn!!!_

Rhea: I pick…Kroich!

Everyone else: WHAT!?

Kroich: _Haha!_

Kaida: YOU'RE NUTS!!!

Rhea: Yeah, I am, roll 'em!!!

Q: What's the deal with the swords in Kaida's arms? How can she have such long swords and still be able to bend her arms? Do they just, like, disappear into some other dimension or something?

A:_ Yeah, sure, we'll go with that. I'm too sexy to care, but that sounds about right to me. _

Q: What's the deal with Sacrosanct? Is she trying to _help_ Kaida or hinder her because it's not looking either way and I'm getting confused.

A: _Who knows why women do the things they do. That's what makes them women. Of course, that particular chick is…untouchable. I'm just not gonna go there._

Q: Are Kroich and Monigan really going to have a baby? Because that would just be disturbing as heck.

A: _Hey, if Monigan wants to have my babies, who am I to refuse a babe like that? Eh? Am I right?_

Kaida: Uh _no_.

Q: How come Sullian always has to pee? It's kinda disturbing, I didn't think Inner Demons did that sort of thing.

A: _He use to have this whole water fascination, where he'd drink a whole lot of water all day every day. But you're right, we **don't** pee, so now he's all filled with water and doesn't seem to realize he could just throw it all back up. Why do you think he's always such a wet blanket?_

Q: How come Kroich thinks he's so sexy when he doesn't have arms, lets, or even a neck?

A: _Gods, if you even **have** to ask that question, you clearly have no taste in men._

Q: How come the Wraith was staring at Kaida like that?

A: _Uh, because he's a freak'n weirdo with no taste in women. **Gorra**'s a more desirable chick than Kaida. _

Kaida: ExCUSE me!? Oh you are _asking_ for it now! Wemlast has been wanting a new doll to play with for a while, and she would _loooooove_ to have _you_!

A: _Oh crap!_

Rhea: Well, there goes my answer person…and my protagonist. (Calls) Kaida! We sorta need to keep him like he is for the time being, we may need him for extra funneh in the future!

Prince: I don't think she heard you.

Rhea: I don't think she cares.


	6. Abyss

A/N: I'm a little tea pot…okay no, never mind. We're not doing that.

XP

**_"By the way,"_** I said, realizing something for the first time after we'd continued in silence for a while, **_"I didn't catch your name."_** Oh boy, here we go, I get to know the prince's name! I get to know the prince's naaaaaaame!!! Nyah nyaaaaah!!! Okay, yeah, I'll stop there.

"Ah…" He said, stopping a moment, and looking uncomfortable. "I don't…have a name?" He tried. I raised an eyebrow.

**_"Okay…you're father just said 'we shall name him, "hey you"' and left it at that?"_** I asked, giving him a look of disbelief.

"Okay, fine, I do have a name…I just don't like it very much." He told me, frowning.

**_"Why not?" _** I asked. Oh gods, please don't give him a crappy name like Bob or Francis. I'd kill myself just so I could take the secret of it to the grave.

"Because it's _weird_." He answered. "It sounds like something my father came up with while he was drinking heavily, alright? And no matter how many times I've begged him, he won't let me change it. That's why I just go by 'Prince' if I can help it." He told me.

The secret of the nameless prince revealed! And my curiosity was going to kill me, **_"Right,"_** I said, **_"And Kaida Megowan sounds particularly normal to you?"_** I asked.

"Yes, well, you're not from Persia." He told me, "You having a strange name is almost expected."

**_"How do you know I'm not from Persia?"_** I asked suspiciously.

"For one, your hair is the color of blood. For another, your accent is different, your manner of speech is different, and your weapons are different too. I've never seen a blade made straight and with two edges before. I'm fairly certain that, even if you grew up in Persia, you're not native." He answered.

**_"Alright, fine, I give, I'm not Persian, I'm a half-Irish half-Japanese American. Still, I'm curious, what's your name? I promise not to laugh if it's stupid."_** I told him.

"Look, you can just call me 'Prince', you've done that so far, I don't see what the problem is." He answered, walking resolutely forward.

**_"The problem is my curiosity. Come on, if it really is that bad I won't use it! Chances are it isn't, I mean, I've heard some pretty weird names. And you know it might be in another language or something, and it could mean something really cool. Come on, tell me!"_** I pressed.

"No, I really would rather you not know my name." He answered.

**_"Please?!"_**

"No."

**_"Tell me your name!"_**

"No!"

**_"Tell me your name!"_**

"No!"

**_"Tell me your name!"_**

"No!"

**_"Tell me your name!"_**

"No!"

**_"Tell me your name!"_**

"No!"

**_"Tell me your name!"_**

"WILL YOU DROP IT ALREADY!?!?" He demanded, rounding on me in irritation.

I paused a moment, and then, **_"Tell me your name!"_**

"NO!!!"

XD

Panting, I waited my turn as the prince recovered himself with the water fountain, and then recovered my own health. I'd gained two more sand tanks, and all four of them had crescents, which I hadn't been using at all due to the fact that the ring would burn on my finger at odd moments, and I couldn't time it very well. And in any case, I didn't know how to use the crescents, and neither did I know what to use them for. I knew the main purpose for them in SoT was to freeze enemies in time with the dagger, but I didn't have the Dagger of Time, and I had yet to try putting that sort of power into my jabs with my swords. Personally I'd just assume make them explode rather than freeze them in time, or make myself move faster. Either way, power or no power, I was going to stay cautious, and if I didn't need to use them, I wasn't going to. Sure it would make things a bit easier if I would use my sand tanks to slow down time while the prince used his to rewind, we'd both have more sand that way, but the fighting wore me down too easily while in human form to risk it.

And, really, it would have been better if I just stayed a sand monster. I was stronger, faster, tougher, and the sands I collected would not only fill a sand tank if one was empty, but they would restore me to full health. It does seem stupid, staying in human form when my other was so much better, and perhaps my hatred of that form was irrational. After all, I really never thought of the Dark Prince as being ugly, he'd be more attractive if his hair didn't rise up into the air and instead fell down to frame his face, but other than that the charcoal black skin and golden markings…well, I guess I just didn't like having it myself.

I could also sense the fact that He-Who-Has-No-Name, had seen this as well, and was getting a bit tired of my insistence on keeping my human form. In fact, I could sense his thoughts lingering upon this as I bent down in order to heal myself with the water.

"You know, it'd just be easier if you—" He began, but I cut him off as though I were intending to say this all along.

"You know what? Since you insist on keeping your name secret from me, I think I'll just name you myself." I said.

He was thrown completely off topic by this, and looked quite taken aback, "Say _what_?"

"Yeah, how about, Voldemort! Because you don't want to be named! Or Voldy for short!" I said.

"_Voldapore!?_" He exclaimed, incredulously.

"No, Voldemort!" I answered happily.

"That's worse than the name I have!!!" He cried.

"GREAT!!! Does that mean you'll tell me what it is?" I asked.

"No, I just won't respond when you call me that." He answered, glaring at me as we went forward.

It was a moment before I realized where we were, and that, coupled with the timeline we were in, it donned on me a second after the prince sucked in his breath what the draining of color in the world meant.

"Oh hell…" I breathed, turning around to see it for the first time.

A hulking, muscular figure of a giant man with the head of a bull, surrounded by a dark cloud, tendrils flying everywhere. I felt a jerk on my wrist before I could get going, and a voice in my ear yelling at me to run for it.

I jerked off the ring, but this was a mistake. I was lifted into the air, I couldn't keep running, and when the transformation was complete…the Dahaka was right behind me.

"KAIDA!!!" The prince screamed.

The Dahaka looked at him, and then back at me. It seemed to consider me, but it wasn't attacking…for _now_.

I thought I could sense that death itself was staring at me through those white-filled eyes, and my heart raced. Instinct seemed to take over for the daggertail fell to my side, and I unleashed it against the creature, cracking it like a whip.

Bad idea, _very_ bad idea. The Dahaka caught the daggertail, and the next thing I knew I was surrounded by tendrils, and I struggled, I struggled but I was being held in the air, and it did me no good. **_"No!!!"_** I yelled, **_"Put me down!!! Nwod em tup!"_**

**"Enilemit eht tcetorp llahs I."** His gruff voice boomed.

The door to The Manor was being hammered on and, not knowing what else I had to use, I let it swing right open. I was in his hand now, and I was kicking at him with all my might. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion somehow.

And then The Sisters appeared, _"BLOOD!!!"_ The shrieked, and they converged on the Dahaka, who let out a cry of surprise and dropped me to the ground.

Someone grabbed me and pulled me to my feet. At first I thought it was one of my Inner Demons, but I turned and saw the Prince dragging me away.

**"Don't worry darling, we'll take good care of him!"** Kukarkin called after us.

_"On! Sretsis dab! Akahad ym, mih tnaw I!"_ Exclaimed Gorra. 

I heard the Dahaka roar as my chain sang through the air, pulling me and swinging me to safety. He was coming after us. Somehow he'd broken free of The Sisters' lust for his blood, but at least now we were a few steps ahead of him.

"Why didn't you use your sands?" Asked the prince.

**_"I panicked! I forgot all about them!"_** I answered, **_"What about you—you don't have any left do you?"_** I asked, and he shook his head. **_"Watch it!"_** I exclaimed, catching him before he fell and throwing him to safety. We were running along two different tracks, my rout was geared for my chain, his geared for his own skills, but it was still along the same way.

We came to a ledge which we both were able to get onto easily enough. This was a mistake, however, because, looking around in panic, we couldn't see where else to go. We were trapped!

My heart was pounding in my throat, fear, cold and cruel, was coursing through my veins. Sure enough, there was the Dahaka, black smoke billowing about him as he chased us. This was the end, this was it, there was nothing left.

"He wants me!" The prince said, and he pointed to a place I hadn't seen yet, an area of the ceiling which looked close enough that my daggertail would be able to catch hold of, and I could swing myself over to the next platform. "Go! Go no!" He told me.

**_"I'm not leaving you!"_** I told him, almost angrily.

"I'm not letting you die because of me!" He roared, he then shoved me off the edge, so that I had no choice but to send my daggertail to the only available latching pad, and allow it to swing myself over to the other side. I turned, about ready to use one of my sand tanks to rewind time to where I was still there on the platform with him, but something strange was happening, something that only took a moment for the two of us to realize.

The Dahaka had only paused to look up at us, he was still running along the lower level, and for a moment, we couldn't understand why. I knew he could get us easily from down there with his tentacles…

And then I saw Kukarkin plummet down from a hole in the ceiling, **"There you are!!!"** She said, and she flew after the Dahaka. **"You can't escape me that easily, you sexy beast!"** She said, flying after him. The Dahaka's eyes were wide with fear, and the most horrible sound escaped him, a sound that could only have been that creature's version of a sob.

**_"Okay,"_** I said, **_"I am officially disturbed beyond all rational thought."_** But just then Gorra dropped down to the ground, and looked around, angry.

_"Where did they go!?"_ She demanded. I pointed, _"That b(beep)!!! She is so not getting him all to herself!!!"_ She said, and she shot like lightening out of sight.

**_"Okay, now I am officially disturbed beyond all rational thought."_** I said, **_"And I have to live with them too!!!"_**

"Look, I know you don't want my sympathy, but, I mean, seriously…" The prince gestured helplessly.

**_"I'll take your sympathy for this at least. I know the Dahaka is, like, trying to kill us, or you, but I seriously hope he gets away from them. Imagine if one of them got pregnant, then I will kill myself if only to make sure I don't have to have Dahaka Jr. as an inner demon."_** I said.

"TOO MUCH INFORMATION, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THOSE IMAGES!!!" The prince yelled, hitting himself in the head, "I'm going to burn my eyes out now!"

**_"Oh if you think that's bad, you should hear—"_**

"NO! I DON'T WANT TO KNOW, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!" He yelled.

I laughed, **_"Alright, alright, I won't say. But now that we don't have the Dahaka to worry about for the time being, I'm coming back over there."_** I said, and I threw the daggertail at the ceiling strip again in order to swing myself over.

A horrible cry echoed around the room, piercing me to the core, and I heard a sound, and felt a release that made my heart stop.

The ceiling gave way under my weight, but when I looked up, intending to rewind time, a piece of rubble hit the top of my head, hard, and my head swam too much for me to think very much, in fact, I was loosing the feel of my body, there was a soothing coldness all around me.

In that last moment, I realized that I was going to die, here, and now. And all I could feel, the only thing I really knew then, was a sense of nearly overwhelming peace. I welcomed the blackness, welcomed the abyss, I welcomed death itself. No longer afraid, no, it had not been death I was afraid of, it was the Dahaka itself.

But now…now…

I believe it was the artist that wrote the song called Mad World who sang that, "The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had."

It's sad that the human denial gene didn't kick in until I realized I was still alive.

XP

Kaida: I'm still alive? Few!

Monigan: _Aw d(beep)it!_

Kaida: (Glares)

Prince: Why does it seem like she, ah, _wants_ to die!?

Kaida: You wouldn't understand. (To self) No one understands me…

Rhea: EMO ALERT!!! EMO ALERT! BWAAAAA BWAAAA BWAAAA—

Kaida: Oh SHUT UP!!! _Gods_…

Rhea: So, who gets to do the FAQ this time around? Shall we let…say, Sacrosanct?

Everyone: **_NO!!!_**

Rhea: Right, then how about, Aggle!

Aggle: _YAY!!!_

Q: So what _is_ the Prince's name going to be?

A: _I'm not going to answer that question because you're not cute enough._

Q: How come the Dahaka decided he was going to kill Kaida when, technically, she didn't do anything?

A: _I guess he just doesn't think she's cute enough to live. Which is a shame because she's so beautiful in her other form!_

Q: What did Kukarkin and Gorra do to make the Dahaka run away from them?

A:_ He must have suffered severe cute-overload from Gorra, and Kukarkin probably tried to…ah, make babies with him. Kukarkin's not as cute as Gorra, so I don't think he appreciated that too much. _

Q: How come the Sisters are always after blood?

A: _Because it keeps them cute. They have rooms full of it in the Manor, and they actually let me use it once to try and make Kaida as cute as I think she should be. But she didn't appreciate it much…it seemed to upset her somewhat._

Kaida: UPSET ME!? _THIS_ IS UPSET, _THAT_ WAS FREAK'N HYSTARICAL!!!

A: _I guess I'll never understand you…(Sigh)_

Q: Do I want to know what Gorra and Kukarkin are going to do to the Dahaka once they catch him?

A:_ I don't know. Probably make cute babies. Did you want to know that?_

Prince: _I_ didn't want to know that thanks!!!

Rhea: Well, that's all for now! See you next time!


	7. A Prince's Touch

A/N: "It is hard to take one seriously when one has a smiley face plastered upon one's bottom." Quote from MYSELF!!!

XP

My jaw was throbbing, my head was pounding, and if I wasn't mistaken, whatever was making my stomach seer was going to leave a mark. I was lying down on something that seemed to move in a slow, steady rhythm, like water might. Up, down, the movement felt soothing, and whatever kind of bed this was, it was soft, and cold, very cold, but in the usual heat of this place, this was a very good thing.

Something soft was being rubbed gently over the side of my face, like silk, silk which was wrapped around an oddly shaped plastic bag full of ice water. It felt like someone had hold of this thing, and was gently stroking my cheek with it, tracing my eyes, over my forehead, I wished they would hold it to my cheek where my jaw was hurting like crazy.

I raised a hand, took the cold thing from whoever was using it, and pressed it to my jaw with a sigh. Where the prince had found an ice pack, or a water bed, I didn't know, and I didn't really care. It felt _good_ there.

It was only when the 'ice pack' started moving on its own that I realized it wasn't an ice pack at all, but someone's _hand_! And it was attached to the 'water bed', which was no water bed at all.

With a cry I leapt and rolled off whatever it was I'd been laying on top of, and turned, expecting to find one of my inner demons…

Only to find the sand wraith scrambling to his feet, and looking distinctly like a dear caught in the headlights. I wasn't sure how he managed that, the Sand Wraith had little face for expressions to speak of, I suppose it would be more the body language than anything else.

For a moment I just stared at him, bewildered, and suddenly a familiar pain shot through my leg, and I crumbled to the ground with a cry of pain, **_"D(beep)it!!!"_** I yelled.

The wraith said something, or rather, he _tried_ to say something, but all that came out was a garbled shrieking sound, and when I looked at him he turned his eyes away, and held his hands out in a helpless manor. He gestured towards my leg, and signed his way to what he wanted. He wanted to set the bone, it seemed, and I considered this. **_"You want to set the bone?"_** I asked, just to be sure. He nodded fervently. I frowned at him, **_"I don't appreciate being touched like that."_** I informed him, and he hung his head rather guiltily. He knew, of course he knew. **_"Why should I trust you?"_** I asked.

He didn't seem to have an answer that he could really give me. I knew I was making this hard for him, but I was angry, and I felt like I'd been taken advantage of…and, an honest, deeply hidden part of me felt almost thwarted. Once again, again and again and again, I had escaped an almost certain death. And this time it was _his_ fault…but I felt guilty because of this. Guilty, because I knew he had risked his own life to save mine, because _he_ didn't want me to die.

But he had been holding me, _holding me_! What, did he think my precious little back couldn't take the discomfort of being lain on the floor? He knew, he had known before I didn't like to be touched. How many times had the prince tried to shake my hand or pat me on the shoulder, only to have me shrug him away irritably? I didn't like to be touched!

Oh yes, I knew, I knew very well who the Sand Wraith really was. I'd played the game several times before, remember? I knew it was him, but I didn't want _him_ to know that I knew.

I used the rubble next to me to pull myself up on my good leg, **_"Forget it."_** I said, **_"If I can find some sand, it'll heal itself."_** I then looked at him suspiciously, then looked up. I looked back at him, and my expression softened, **_"You…you saved me, didn't you?"_** He nodded. I sighed, **_"Thank you."_** I said, trying to sound as though I meant it, trying to _really_ mean it. I hope I did a good impression of gratitude at the very least. He came over to me, looking slightly encouraged, but hovered back before he came too close. I sighed, and put my hand on his shoulder to steady myself, **_"I'd rather be uncomfortable than in pain."_** I said with a grimace, and I pointed to the wall where I could see an opening. **_"Think you could get up there?"_** I asked him, **_"I know I can, but I've got a small advantage over you."_** I said, showing him the daggertail, as if he didn't already know I had it.

He nodded, and I threw the daggertail at the ceiling, using him as a bracer, and grappled up to it, where I crumbled to the ground on the landing. Lo and behold, there was a pot. I struck it with the daggertail, and the sand split two ways, entering my body and going down to meet the wraith.

I felt the bone in my leg snap right back, the pounding of my head, the throbbing of my jaw, and the searing pain on my stomach all disappeared just like that, and I felt quite refreshed.

The moment everything was back in place, I slipped the ring back on my finger, just as the wraith emerged from the hole. He gave an unconvincing start of surprise, which I just shrugged, "Yeah, this is what I really look like, and in spite of my other form's advantages, I do prefer to be like this when I can help it." I said.

The wraith paused a moment, and then he nodded his head. He understood. Wow, that was a bit of a surprise, though considering who was really behind that mask, perhaps he truly did understand now.

The wraith did a wall run in order to open the door and the two of us slipped swiftly through it, and we came out onto a bit of a ledge into a familiar setting, where I could see the big dude that kept throwing stuff at us was getting his butt kicked by the prince. Just _how long_ had I been out?

"Prince!" I called when the battle was over. He was far enough away that I could see him over the ledge, and so therefore he could see me even though I wasn't standing at the edge of it.

He spun around at the sound of my voice, and it was too far to see his face, but he seemed to freeze in place, and then he practically screamed my name as he ran towards the ledge, soon out of sight.

I was about to meet him at the edge, when suddenly the wraith held me back by my wrist, and I looked at him, ready to slap him for touching me again, but then his arms engulfed me, and I was being pressed into that soft yet freezing cold body from all around. He was holding me so tightly, I could hardly breathe, and I was so shocked that, for a moment, I didn't have the mind to fight back. He was holding me…almost as though he—

"Kaida?! Where are you!?" The prince called from below, but before I could respond, or do anything, the wraith released me, and then pushed me off the edge.

"Gah! What the crap!?" I exclaimed, feeling the rush of the fall. It wasn't that far, but it was far enough that I was pretty sure I was about to break another leg. However.

"Gotcha!" The prince exclaimed triumphantly, and he did, indeed, catch me out of the air. He then turned his eyes up to where the wraith was looking down at us and yelled, "You b(beep)!!! Come down here and face me!!!" He didn't, of course, and was soon out of sight. He then turned back to me, and for the second time in, like, two minutes, I was being hugged so tightly I could hardly breath. "Oh gods, Kaida I thought you were dead!" he breathed.

I never liked being touched, never. It was just one of those things I couldn't do, I never had, and perhaps it did have something to do with my Inner Demons. I wasn't use to it, my parents had rarely touched me themselves, my bullies in school had only had to put bear skin to bear skin for me to start screaming and crying, it was one of those things I couldn't handle. Having little to absolutely no physical contact, being touched by the Wraith was one thing, he didn't even feel like a human, at all, but this was quite another. And the prince _knew_ this! Well, not all of it, he knew I didn't like it when his hand was on me for no truly necessary reason, and I don't care how happy he was to see me back, that didn't give him the right to put his freak'n _arms_ all around me!

So, you see, I was perfectly justified when I kicked him in the nuts.

"What…was that…for?" He whimpered, clutching himself and writhing a bit on the ground.

"How many times am I going to have to repeat myself!?" I demanded angrily, "I do _not_ like being grabbed, groped, prodded, poked, patted, and I _especially_ do not like being _hugged_!!! Catching me out of the air, fine, I appreciate it, I'll thank you for it, but next time _put me down_ afterwards!!!" I exclaimed.

"Good gods, Woman!!!" He exclaimed, staggering back to his feet. "I was just happy to see you were _alive_ and not _dead_!" He yelled at me.

"And I'm happy to see you too! But I, don't, like, being, touched!!!"

"What is _wrong_ with you!?" He demanded, still clutching his obviously still-throbbing crotch.

"What's wrong with me? Do you want a f(beep)ing LIST!?" I asked.

"What's so horrible about letting me touch you!? Do I disgust you that much for some reason?"

"Oh yes, it's only you that I don't like touching, because you're _so special_, time itself bows to the mighty Prince of Persia! I don't like _anyone_ touching me, not just you for gods' sake!"

"Well I guess I'll just have to remember that next time I want to catch you before you break something!!!"

"That's _fine_! Weren't you LISTENING to me!?" I demanded.

"I was a little busy listening to the pain in my _groin_ to hear much of what you said!" He answered.

"Catching me out of the air, grabbing me, taking my arm before I fall, that's _fine_ that's _necessary_, but _hugging_ me, trying to take my hand, trying to pat me on the shoulder or putting any part of your body on any part of _my_ body that doesn't strictly _need_ to be there is NOT FINE!!!"

"Why is this such a big deal!? Why do you have to get so worked up over this _little thing_!?" He roared.

"Because I've told you, over and _over_ again, to _stop touching me_, and you _aren't listening_!!! How many times to I have to say, 'don't touch me', 'hands off', 'you can let go of me now', 'move it or loose it' before you realize that I _don't like physical contact_!?!? What, did your mother not cuddle with you enough as a child and now you can't keep your hands off girls you don't even have a romantic interest in!?" I demanded.

"This is _your_ problem, not mine! _You_ are the one who has the issue here!" He came back.

"_Ahem_, I hate to break up the love spat, but—"

"THEN DON'T!!!" I yelled at the sand raider who was trying to get our attention, and he actually jumped back and his two buddies just sort of hovered there, "And you're right, I _do_ have an issue, I have a big issue with it!"

"_WHY_!?" He demanded, pulling on his hair in frustration.

"If you absolutely _have_ to know, I panic!" I answered, "It's a mental issue, and yes, I am mental, I'm crazy, a lunatic, completely off my rocker, whatever you want! And if you want a better understanding, think of it this way: Me asking you to hold me is almost like you asking Kukarkin to have your babies. _Not, a good, idea_!"

"I'm not asking you to have my babies!!!" He cried.

"Ye gods! The point just completely went over your head there didn't it!? Are you even _listening_ to me!?" I demanded.

"Yes but you're not making a whole lot of sense!!!" He answered.

"I don't like being touched!!!"

"I caught that much, funnily enough! WHY!?"

"Because when people touch me it feels bad! Okay? It feels _bad_, it _stings_, it _hurts_ in my _mind_! It always has, and it's not something that I can _help_, okay!? But somehow you don't seem to get the fact that I don't just feel your skin when you touch me!!! I feel panic, I hear a little voice in my head screaming at me saying, 'get out! Get out now! Run! Get away! Escape!', and it's not an Inner Demon, it's my own voice, my own mind, my sense of self-preservation! Instinct! It's not something I can control very well, nor something I've had much practice in doing so! Have you noticed that I hardly ever look you directly in the eyes either? I _can't_! That sort of thing is _hard_ for me! Why is it so hard for _you_ to _understand_ that!?" I demanded.

"Because—because," He stammered, loosing a bit of his vigor as he tried to think of an answer, "Because it's not _normal_!!!"

I practically screamed with mirthless laughter, "Normal!?" I shrieked, "Normal!? Oh yes, and this," I grabbed my red braid, just so he'd see it, "Is normal for you? This," I pushed out my switchblades and shook them at him, "Is normal for you?! This," I practically yanked The Sisters from the Manor so that they appeared all around me, "Is normal for you!? They've got blood, go get them." I told the sisters, who immediately converged upon the sand monsters, all of whom began screaming bloody murder. "This," I shook the gold ring at him so he'd know what I'm talking about, "Is normal for you!? Wow! Then I must not be as much of a freak as I thought!!!" I yelled, "If the only _abnormal_ thing about me is the fact that I've been _alone_ for my life and have next to no social skills! That describes so many people in my land you have no _idea_ what a relief this is!!!"

"Okay…alright, I give up, you _win_." He practically snarled, looking as though he'd like nothing better than to grab me and slap me around like mad until I made sense. But, no, that would constitute as _touching_, and I wouldn't like that. "I will do my best to stop touching you when it isn't strictly necessary, happy?" He asked through gritted teeth.

_"More blood?"_ The Sisters asked as the two of us stood there glaring daggers at each other.

"You've had enough!!!" I snapped, shoving them all back into the Manor. "If that's what it took to make you _understand_ finally, then _yes_, I'm _happy_!"

"You don't look happy." He taunted, turning on his heel towards the wall of gears.

"What, really? It must be another _not normal_ thing about me, I always b(beep) at people when I'm _happy_!" I answered with the same tone of voice, following him.

We both continued fuming throughout the process of getting that last switch going, and for a while it was a silent tension, but the moment a new battle began we were yelling at each other about stupid things. I might have gotten angry at the other sand raider who repeated the 'love spat' thing, if the notion hadn't been so utterly ridiculous. Oddly enough, _he_ was the one who got angry and left his own prey to vanquish the one who'd taunted us about our arguing. Yelling the usual insults about me at it and how he'd never even consider a raving lunatic of a woman like me and yadda yadda yadda.

I was sorely tempted to inform him that he sounded like he was in denial, because it would only make him angrier, but decided that I preferred he not realize that he sounded like that, in case he got the notion that he really _was_ in denial and rethink it. I didn't care if it was 'denial' or not, if it was, let him stay that way for the rest of his life, if it wasn't, kudos to me, I didn't have to deal with it!

Also, I was totally for the Farah/Prince ship, and wasn't about to let anyone get in the way of _that_, not even myself…_especially_ not myself!!!

It was only when the Dahaka decided to make another appearance that our anger evaporated. We looked at each other, fear mirrored in our faces, and we ran.

Neither Kukarkin, nor Gorra were in sight, and I had no idea where or what they'd gotten themselves into. Half of me hoped he'd gotten rid of them for me, the other half wished they could be here if only to chase him off again. I honestly couldn't decide which option I preferred, to tell you the truth.

"Get on my back!" He yelled.

"_Excuse me_?!" I exclaimed, unable to _believe_ this.

"You're not stopping to take that ring off again, _get on my back and hold on_!!!" He ordered, and he grabbed my arm so that he could swing me, bodily, over his shoulders. It was painful, but I got a good hold around his neck, and my legs clamped down on his sides, I made sure I wasn't choking him, and I held on for dear life.

Between life and comfort, I'd chose life, and the little panic voice in my head was just going to have to deal with it.

XP

Kaida: **I** will do the FAQ now!

Rhea: But—

Kaida: If you want to keep your tail on your butt, I suggest you let me do the FAQ.

Rhea: (shrinks and puts hands on butt to protect tail) Yes ma'am…

Q: How come the wraith/prince was holding Kaida?

A: Because he is a pig and can't keep his hands to himself.

Prince: I AM NOT!!! AND I CAN TOO!!!

Q: This looks like it's turning into a Prince/OC fic, I though you said—

A: It is NOT and I DID say, and MEAN that the prince is going to get together with Farah!!!

Q: Does the Author agree with that?

Rhea: Leave me out of this man! I like my tail where it _is_ thanks! (Hugs tail to chest)

Q: So you're not saying either way?

A: HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU I AM _NOT_ GETTING TOGETHER WITH PRINCY OVER HERE!!!

Prince: Alright, not to say that _I_ want to get tangled up in a love story with you, but what's wrong with me that you abhor the idea so much?

Monigan: _It's because she's secretly in love with you and is in even deeper denial than you are._

A: MONIGAN SHUT UP!!!

Q: Why did Kaida kick the prince in the nuts like that? He was just happy to see her, what's the big deal?

A: Because he had his _hands_ on me and I _don't like being touched_. Also, it was pretty funny.

Prince: It was NOT!!!

Q: Where was Kukarkin and Gorra when they actually_ needed_ them?

A: No idea, probably fighting over the Dahaka (shudders) As if I wasn't traumatized _enough_ already…

Q: Are you sure Kaida and the Prince aren't going to—

Rhea: _Okay_! I think we should probably stop it there for now!

Prince: Good idea.

Rhea: Until next time! Ja! (To Kaida) STAY AWAY FROM MY TAIL!!! (Runs away)

Monigan: _You know you shouldn't have done that, she **does** have control over your life. It's only a matter of time before she comes up with an adequate revenge._

Kaida!.! CRAP!


	8. Bath Scene

A/N: Revenge is sweet. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Some rather suggestive themes in this chapter kiddies, just to warn you, it _is_ rated T for a reason.

XP

I hindered him, I could tell. He couldn't do his wall-runs as well, and his jumps were just a bit shorter. We both came dangerously close to exhausting all our sand-tanks, and every time we weren't on ground, my heart pounded in my ears, I felt like my finger was constantly on that L button, ready to press it the moment I saw we weren't going to make it.

But make it we did. We fell through that waterfall, and the both of us rolled into the room, him having had to dive beneath a number of tentacles that attempted to grab us.

And only _then_ did Kukarkin feel obliged to appear. **"There you are my darling!!!"** She cried, and she flew right through the waterfall towards the Dahaka.

The beast let out a strangled cry and disappeared in a shattering of smoke, which Kukarkin coughed and choked on. **"You can't run forever!!!"** She cried defiantly.

"I don't think he's interested." I told her as she came back through the waterfall, looking grumpy. "Um, is that an, _axe_ in your head?" I asked, black blood was, indeed, oozing from a large blade that had been driven into the back of her skull.

**"Huh? Oh, right, yes I haven't been able to get it out, could you help me?"** She asked, turning around and kneeling so that the back of her head was facing me. I grabbed the axe and, my foot on her back, yanked it out of her scalp.

"Uh, did he throw this at you?" I asked, pointing at it.

**"Oh he's just playing hard to get!!!"** She said with a dreamy look in her eyes.

"Kukarkin, telling you to get lost is playing hard to get, _this_ is a few steps above a restraining order." I answered.

**"Bah,"** She said, waving that away. **"He'll come around. If only I could figure out where he keeps _going_ when he manages to disappear."** She said, pouting. **"Well! I'm off to go find out!"**

"Hang on, what happened to Gorra?" I asked her.

**"Oh…nothing."** She answered with wide, innocent eyes. I raised an eyebrow, and she grinned, **"Sorry, afraid she's not dead, but she _will_ be if she keeps trying to steal my man."** She told me.

"THE DAHAKA'S NOT A MAN!!!" I cried.

**"Details, details."** She said airily, **"Personally, I think that's a matter of opinion. _You_ simply don't have good taste, or _any_ taste for that matter. Just look at what you've been running around with,"** She jerked her thumb at the prince, **"And your virginity is still in tact. You are _such _a disappointment."**

"And you are _such_ a whore." I shot back, glaring at her.

**"You know, I'm starting to wonder if you even like men. Do you prefer women then?"** She asked innocently.

"Just because _I_ don't go after anything that has a cock that does not make me a lesbian. _You_, on the other hand, seem to have a bestiality fetish."

**"Oh you're bad! Don't mind what she _says_, Prince, she really is a naughty girl. She wants it just as much as I do."** Kukarkin said, taking me by the shoulders and turning me to better face the prince, who looked like he'd been trying desperately not to listen to the conversation.

"That's not physically possible. I would explode." I told Kukarkin with a sneer. "Also, you might want to go look for your precious Dahaka, or else Gorra might find him before you." I told her.

Her eyes widened, **"Oh no she doesn't, that b(beep)!!!"** She said, and the next second she zipped out through the waterfall and my eyes rolled up to the heavens.

"Well…" The prince said, shifting uncomfortably, "I guess the 'slut' insult has no real meaning for you, does it?"

"Why do you think I started laughing when you tried to use it?" I responded, smirking.

He chuckled and grinned a bit nervously, "Um…I guess…"

"I'm sorry." We both said at the same time.

We started laughing. "Oh gods, is this what it's like to have an older brother?" I asked, shaking my head.

"And a younger sister?" He snickered.

We went back in time through the sand, and then trekked back to the main room…with me chasing him down, my switchblades at the ready to nick any part of him I could catch. Why you may ask? Because the b(beep) put his _hand_ on my _arm_, _deliberately_, and then ran for it, _knowing_ I would get mad. He was laughing too, and I was determined to give him something he would be able to show off to his children and lie about it being from some heroic battle. A scar. A nice big red one.

I got him on the arm and was satisfied, but he didn't seem to care much. It just healed right over when we got to one of the water fountains, to my chagrin. (Shahdee's cut scarred, why not mine!?)

Kaileena, of course, was there to meet us when we arrived, holding the Lion sword in her hand. "You're still here." She said when we entered.

"You sound surprised." The prince observed.

"Only that you insist on prolonging this pointless game." She answered. Now where had I heard this before?

"Yeah, we're stubborn like that." I said.

"Especially her." The prince said, jerking his thumb at me.

"Excuse me? This is _your_ mission, not mine. I'm just tagging along because you couldn't get through an open door without my help." I told him.

"I am not even going to dignify that with a response." He said.

"You just did." I informed him, smirking.

"_Ahem_." Kaileena coughed.

"Sorry." I said. "We can't seem to behave like dignified adults around each other anymore." I said, and she gave me an irritated look that said, quite plainly, she'd noticed.

"Back on topic, if this is all pointless, then why are you helping us?" Asked the prince.

She seemed to deliberate this for a moment, or rather, she was trying to think of a good response to it, "You remind me somewhat of the Empress. She too knows her fate, but unlike you she has accepted it."

"And you wish she would fight her fate like me." He deduced.

"Perhaps. It would give her something to live for." She answered, and she held out the Lion sword for him.

"Thanks." He said.

"Hey, how come he gets the shiny new stuff?" I complained.

"Because _his_ weapons don't become more powerful with use." She answered.

"And mine do?" I asked.

"_Yes_." She answered, as though I should know this.

"Oh…awesome."

"What?"

"It's a positive response." I assured her.

XD

"You know…" The prince said once the two of us had gotten to the beginning of the Garden Tower, (Me having to take off the ring to do it of course) "I _have_ noticed that you seem to be getting better. Before your skill needed a lot of improvement, but now you're actually becoming formidable in your human form with your two wrist-swords." He told me.

**_"Thanks."_** I said, and I honestly meant it. I hadn't expected _that_ coming from him. **_"The fighting does seem to be getting easier, and I'm not getting nearly as tired in my other form as I use to. I do feel a lot stronger. If only I had your acrobatic skills and could do wall runs and such, then I wouldn't even need this form."_** I said with a sigh.

"It took me years to learn and perfect my own skills, but you've become a decent fighter within days, even _with_ this body, that's quite a feat for someone who's never fought before." He told me.

**_"Well, I do have some less-than human help in this department. Sacrosanct, remember?"_**

"Even so," He told me, "_I_ think you could learn swiftly enough. Would you like to try?"

**_"I think that would be a definite hell yeah!!!"_** I answered, **_"But do we really have enough time for that? I mean, we've wasted enough already goofing off."_** I asked.

"If you hadn't been here, it would have taken me a _lot_ longer to get to this point. I owe you some of my time." He said, looking down at the outdoor passage, and then letting himself down onto the wooden floor.

**_"Um, we'll need to use this switch in order to get across."_** I told him, pointing to the big floor button.

"That's good to know, but right now I just want the walls. You want to do a wall-run, right?" He asked, "Usually I'd start you off on something easier, but you seem to be most interested in that technique, so we'll start there."

**_"Sounds good to me!"_** I said, jumping down to the ground next to him without even bothering with the ledges.

"You've seen me do it a good deal, I want you to try it out. Get a good running start, though, I can do it without much of a head start, but I've been training since I was a kid, I've had years and years of practice." He told me.

**_"And when I fall and roll around on the floor a bit, I will come after you for laughing at me. Just to caution you."_** I informed him. I stared at the wall I was to be running alongside, took a deep breath, and started running. The first time I didn't even get my feet on the wall, but I came back and went again. When I finally _did_ get feet on wall however…**_"OUCH!!! (Beeeeeeeep)!!! That (beeeeeep) hurt! I think I (beep) broke my (beep) arm!"_** I yelled, scrambling to my feet and holding my left arm tenderly. Yeah, it was definitely broken. How did I know? Well my elbow was bending the wrong way.

"Uh…okay, do you want me to tell you everything you did wrong, or try to sum it all up in less than four sentences?" He asked as I went over to use one of the pots in order to get a sand cloud.

**_"Why don't you start with telling me how to do it right and then I'll already know what I did wrong and you don't have to risk my untimely wrath."_** I answered.

"Fair enough." He said, and I could tell he was trying very hard not to laugh…or look too smug, and wasn't succeeding very well.

There was quite a lot more to a wall run than I originally thought. It required an insane amount of balance and upper-body strength. Still, I was learning a lot faster with this form than I would have with my other, and, of course, the strength and skills of this form did transfer over to the other, if only a bit. Why do you think I'm able to fight at all in my human form? Well, sure I was already stronger than the average girl, it came with fighting for my 'life' and running away from the you-know-whats for the majority of growing up.

Well, I did it, sort of. My feet were off the ground for like three feet, and I didn't fall. I did need a good head start before I could, to get my speed up, but at least I did it, and the Prince found the fact that I'd gotten even _that much_ in only a few hours an incredible feat.

I felt, oddly shy at his praise, trying to tell him that it really wasn't _me_, it was more because of Sacrosanct's help, and this body. But he didn't seem to be listening.

We decided not to use those annoying switches, seeing as how I could simply use my daggertail to get up to the platforms, and then extend my chain-like golden braid all the way down for him to climb up. We'd been using this sort of technique for a while, because it was simply faster and less of a hassle. He could do it on his own, I knew he could, but, well, how many times in the game would I have liked a sand creature like myself to help me skip tedious parts?

During this particular time, I made a comment about feeling like Rupunzal (sp?), and, of course, the prince had no idea what I was talking about. Go figure.

The Garden Tower turned out to be far more difficult, for me, than the Mechanical Tower. Why? We were _outside_, and therefore I had less by which I could use my chain.

We stopped in the room with the water maiden for the night. There were fruits there that the prince could eat (in the Mechanical Tower he'd found cupboards with food stuffs which I still had with me, though I didn't need to eat for some odd reason), and the grass was soft enough it made a good bed.

Since we were here, though, I decided to use the prince's sleeping time in order to take a bath. I didn't have any soap or shampoo, but washing off in the water would still feel nice, and I could get the excess sweat and such out of my hair. I put Monigan in charge of making sure the prince didn't wake up and accidentally walk in on me.

**_"You know, those berries can be used for soap and shampoo."_** Sacrosanct told me.

"Yeah, either that or turn my skin a nice shade of pale blue." I said, rolling my eyes as I slipped out of my clothes. I had a bit of trouble with the boots, but after figuring out what undid what part, they were easy enough to slip out of.

**_"Go ahead and try one, I promise that's what they're for."_** She insisted.

"So _now_ you're being helpful? Alright, fine, I'll bite." I said, and I waded over up to my knees to where the crystal blue berries were, and used my nail to pierce one of them. What came out was a milky substance, that did, in fact, feel exactly like soap. I used it on my hands at first and then washed it off in the small pool. My hands felt clean, like I'd just used a bar of actual soap on them, and it even lathered up and created bubbles. These bubbles didn't last long. The water seemed to suck them out through a sort of draining system meant to keep the water fresh and clean. "Alright then." I got a hand full of berry juice and began combing it into my hair and getting it all over my body.

The cool water felt nice on my skin, and it became deep enough at the end that it actually got up to my chest, and I was able to use a sort of waterfall at the shallow end to better make sure the soap got out of my hair and off my skin.

After that was done I let the water sooth my fatigued body, closing my eyes as I rested my head against the wall, soften by vines, and let the gently moving water wash over me. It felt so good, I might have stayed there all night, if it hadn't been for Monigan.

_"See?"_ She said, and I opened my eyes, _"I told you it'd be worth it."_ She said, and my head jerked over to where she was standing, holding the prince by the shoulders so that he was forced to face me, though the moment I saw him, he shut his eyes and put a hand over them, his face red as a cherry.

"MONIGAN!!!" I shrieked, turning my back to them and holding my arms over my chest, "What the hell!? I thought I told you to keep him _away_, not _bring him here_!!!" I screamed.

_"No, you told me to make sure he didn't **accidentally** walk in on you. He didn't **accidentally** walk in on you, I **purposefully** made him walk in on you. See? I'm following orders."_ She said, and the next moment, she tossed the prince_ right on top of me_.

"MONIGAN!!!" I screamed again, and she laughed while disappearing back into the Manor herself, "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU YOU B(BEEP)!!!"

At the very least, he was only on my back, and aside from having him so close and me without _any_ clothing on to speak of, he seemed to have momentarily lost his ability move, and his weight was making it hard to keep my head above the water level.

He came to his senses, however, and, stammering a long string of garbled apologies, he swiftly scrambled off me, and went over to the opposite well, which he leaned against, covering his eyes and still apologizing.

"I don't blame _you_." I said, trying to reassure him, but it didn't work out too well. I was red all over from embarrassment and humiliation. Still, I honestly didn't blame him. Monigan had done things like this before, using my phobia of being touched against me, he was simply a tool she was using for that purpose once again. And though the anger in my voice wasn't directed at _him_, it was still there as I scrambled to get my clothes on.

"I'm sorry!" He gasped out again, his face still pressed to the wall. He was likely almost as red in the face as I was. "She woke me up, I didn't know _what_ she wanted, and then you weren't around, and when I tried to call for you she covered my mouth and told me to shut up." He babbled.

"Like I said, I don't blame you. She was just using you to get after _me_, so it's not your fault." I said, my voice more firm than angry now. I was still wet, but my clothes would dry off. I didn't like the feel of putting them on, not having been able to wash _them_, but I wasn't about to take the time out to do so. I'd just have to deal with it. "You can look now." I said. The only thing I didn't have on was my ponytail and boots, and those I could put on with him watching.

He followed me back to our soft spot in which his own boots and leather breastplate were still there, taken off for comfort reasons, and we settled down again in silence while I combed my hair, still fuming about Monigan (don't ask where the comb came from, you don't want to know).

"I'm sorr—"

"Drop it." I told him, cutting him off. "Next time I'll know better, I'll _tell_ you I'm going to take a bath and then you'll _know_ not to come near me." I said, putting the comb away and turning on my side with my back to him.

"If—if it helps you're…you're very—I mean you're…pretty." He stammered out.

I turned and gave him a piercing look, searching his eyes, and it was _his_ turn to become uncomfortable with eye contact. His face went brick red, "I mean, what I saw, I didn't see everything, not much, I just—"

"There's an old saying," I said, turning my head back so I could stare at the stone water maiden instead, "'Tis better to keep your mouth shut and have others think you a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.' I appreciate the compliment, but _drop it_. I vote that we simply never speak of this moment ever again. Agreed?" I looked at him.

"Agreed." He said swiftly, looking relieved as he settled back down.

I couldn't help but smile though, and it took a bit of work to suppress the giggle. Who would have known how bashful the Prince really was? I almost pitied him, just like every other man in books, movies and what-not, trying to lighten the situation, only to end up with his foot in his mouth. You'd think they'd eventually learn how to work the 'shut up' radar in their minds to get it to go off. But I guess it's simply much too fun to watch, and I did find it kind of endearing.

Farah was a lucky girl. I almost envied her.

Almost.

XP

Kaida: WHERE'S THE AUTHOR!? WHERE IS SHE!?!?

Monigan: _No idea, I did warn you though. Heheheheh. _

Kaida: YOU SHUT UP!!!

Kukarkin: (to prince) **Betcha loved that, didn't you?**

Prince: Uh, NO!!! I _DIDN'T_!!! CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF I DO _NOT_ WANT TO SEE EVERY FEMALE I MEET NAKED!!! _You_, in particular, are proof of this.

Kukarkin: **Oh that's cute! You're so funny Prince! And so cuuuuuuute. (Approaches him)**

Prince: GET AWAY FROM ME!!!

Rhea: (Over speakers) MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Maybe now you'll think twice before threatening my tail!!!

Kaida: WHERE ARE YOU!?

Rhea: None of your business.

Voice on other end of speaker: Rhea? Who are you talking to? And how come you're not on the set?

Rhea: WAAAAAAAH!!! KIOKO, KAIDA THREATENED MY TAIL!!!

Kioko: I threaten your tail every day and you don't get defensive about _that_.

Rhea: Yeah, well, that's _you_, I know you love me, even if you won't admit it. Anyway, I have decided that Kukarkin shall do the FAQ this time!!!

Everyone: NO!!!

Kukarkin: **YES!!!**

Q: So what _did_ happen to Gorra?

A: **Oh, _nothiiiiiiing_.**

Q: Will Kukarkin ever give up on the Dahaka?

A: **Nope! Never! Our love is too strong for that!**

Q: Why's Kukarkin such a slut?

A: **You call it being a slut, _I_ call it having _fun_.**

Q: _Is_ Kaida lesbo?

A: **Yes, I believe she is.**

Kaida: I AM _NOT_!!!

A: **Then prove it! Kiss him! (Points to prince, who begins to panic)**

Kaida: NO!!! I'm not degrading myself just to prove something that should go without saying!!! (Prince sighs with relief)

Q: How come Kaida learned to do wall runs so swiftly?

A: **Sacrosanct.**

Q: Will Kaida ever become completely independent of her sand form?

A: **If she does it's gonna royally tick off Sacrosanct…let's just hope she doesn't shall we?!**

Q: How come Kaida is getting so strong in her other form when Sacrosanct would prefer she stay in the sand form?

A: **I'm thinking the One Ring has something to do with that. Not sure how that works, though, I never read the books myself. Also, Kaida was strong to begin with, just, perhaps, not the fighter that she's turned into before now.**

Q: Are you _sure_ Kaida and the Prince are not—

Kaida: FOR THE LOVE OF THE GODS STOP ASKING THAT QUESTION!!! NO!!! THE ANSWER IS NO! NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO…

Rhea: Well, I think that's all for now. Until next time!

Kaida: NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO…

Rhea: Um…Kaida?

Kaida: NO NO NO NO NO…

Kukarkin: **Oh no! She's stuck in a perpetual loop! Quick, Prince, the only thing that can save her is a kiss from a sexy man, and I'm afraid the Dahaka's not here, so you'll have to do!**

Kaida!.! EWWWWWW!!! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!

Kukarkin: **Eep! (Runs)**


	9. Undying

A/N: MUCHO IMPORTANTE NOTE!!! I sort of got a bit mixed up on a few things in this chapter, like the timeframe in which the prince got the Scorpion sword and the fact that it was AFTER he defeated the empress that one time. Yeah, that. But, oh well, the chapter has been written and I'm lazy and don't feel like rewriting it.

Also, the song is Undying by Flowing Tears, and it's pretty awesome.

XP

**_"You can't escape forever, darling!"_ she laughed, her face taking on a horrifying skull-like quality. She had me backed into a corner, and I was sobbing and sobbing, I begged her to leave me alone. _"You're adorable."_ She cooed, bending down over me, and others appeared around her, all chuckling, _"So cute, let's hear you scream some more."_ She said. **

**_Lilly was sixteen when it started to hurt _**

**_In and out of reach in a silent alert _**

**_Lilly was sixteen when the sun in her heart stopped to shine_ **

**Clawed hands held me down, a child no older than 9, I screamed, I cried, I kicked and struggled, I begged, but that's exactly what she wanted, that's exactly what _they_ wanted. **

**_Mirror balls and dreams light the tears in her eyes _**

**_Starlit of the scene and narcotic inside _**

**_Lilly was sixteen when her heart got afraid of the night _**

**I was running again, running through black streets, trains whizzing past me. The ground moved, gears turned, buildings got in my way, then the next moment lifted in the air, giving me the ability to dive through holes in the clockwork mechanisms. **

**_Walk undying, in the rain _**

**_Walk undying, over again _**

**_All your sorrow, is what I will take _**

**_Undying _**

**A horrible figure, 7 feet tall with four winged arms and the head of a vulture let out a hair-raising shriek and snatched me off the building I was climbing with its feet. I screamed, and tried to struggle, but froze as it flew me high, high over the moving city, and over a black ocean which frothed and bubbled. **

**_Monday was the day when she left with a smile _**

**_Took the urban train for her terminal ride _**

**_Monday was the day when the city swallowed her child_ **

**The storm blew at us and the bird flew on, the waters began to rise, and rise in an arch until it no longer looked like water, but a head with hair. Gold-filled eyes opened from the giant shape, and a dark hand reached out and grabbed the bird creature so that it dropped me. **

**_Trying to believe and to never arrive _**

**_Flowers off the track, mark the end of her strife _**

**_Monday was the day when sweet Lilly followed the night _**

**I fell, I screamed, terrified as water spouts and funnel clouds caught me and flung me all around. Monsters which laughed and toyed with me, playing a cruel game of catch with each other, and I was the ball. **

**_Walk undying, in the rain _**

**_Walk undying, over again _**

**_All your sorrow, is what I will take _**

**_Undying _**

**But something caught me out of the storm, and I held on tightly. It carried me far, far away, away from the darkness and into the sun. On an island of purple beaches and white trees of golden leaves. And the waters were so blue, the grasses gold. I held on to the creature that carried me here, if I let go, the winds would take me back to the storms. **

**It held me close, and I sensed the storms ceasing, heard the thwarted cry of the creatures that haunted me, safe in the arms of a mother, or father, or brother, whatever it was. I didn't care, I was safe, I was _safe_.**

XD

The sense of safety followed me to the waking world, the feeling of peace, of security. The confusion was that this feeling was accompanied by a growing sense of panic that I recognized all too well. A little voice telling me over and over again to _get out_!

But, it didn't make sense. I was safe here, why should I leave? Why should I get out? The voice wasn't making sense, it was completely contradicting this feeling of security, and _why_? I simply couldn't think of anything…until I realized where this feeling of security was coming from, or rather, _who_ it was coming from.

Once again I found myself lying down on top of him, only this time I was face down, with my head upon his chest near his shoulder, and my arms were around his neck, his head propped up on the makeshift pillows we had using the flower bags we'd found. And his arms were around me as well, one had a grip on my shoulder, the other draped around my middle.

His scent was all around me, it smelled of incense mixed with his own masculine airs to which I couldn't place. The purple beaches and white-gold trees came back to mind, which was probably the only thing that stopped me from screaming bloody murder and beating him to a pulp. Had it been him? Had he been the reason? The reason it stopped, the reason my nightmares quieted, and I saw a glimpse of the first good dream I'd ever had in my life?

I've never had good dreams, ever. I dreaded going to sleep because I knew that I would only wake up in a cold sweat, having just been caught by some night-terror of a monster. And the only heroes I ever came across died the moment they tried to save me. My only 'good' dreams were the ones when _I_ died, when I was dying. Yet…

This one was real, and he had saved me.

I felt him move beneath me, and that was enough to jerk me out of my reverie, and back into reality. My eyes shot open and I yanked myself out of his arms, whose grip was reluctant to let me go. "What the _hell_!?" I demanded, the panic voice in my head suddenly taking control without listening to the single thing the logic lobe of my brain was trying to tell it.

"What—huh? What's going o—OWE!" He exclaimed, which he had good reason too seeing as I had punched him in the jaw in order to get him to let me go.

"What is _wrong_ with you!?" I demanded, jumping back.

"What the—oh, I—I can explain!" He said, getting to his feet, his eyes wide and understanding.

"Start!" I snapped.

"I was, you were—that is to say, I just…I…" He jabbered helplessly, red in the face, probably just as red as I was, though to all appearances, mine was from anger rather than embarrassment, which wasn't exactly accurate. "I—simply cannot keep my hands off you and you have every right to kick me again." He finally said, and I just stared at him. "So go ahead." He said, closing his eyes and bracing himself.

I felt the panic voice in my head die away, to be replaced with guilt. No, that wasn't it, it was so obvious he was lying…lying for _me_. I was having a nightmare, and he had tried to wake me from it. I likely grabbed hold of him, and that was when my nightmares left and I had the first peaceful sleep ever.

I buried my face in my hands, "You're a horrible liar…" I said, my knees giving way so that I crumbled to the ground.

The silence stretched on, and he came to sit down next to me. For a long time we simply sat there, and then he finally decided to speak, "Do you…always have nightmares?" He asked in a low voice.

"Always…" I murmured. "When I was little, I hardly ever slept at all, they were worse then when I had no control, and in any case I was often too afraid to let myself sleep in case one of _them_ showed up. I'd sleep for only a half an hour at a time, if even that much, before my body finally gave up and I passed out. Several times I've tried to just stop sleeping, but I've learned that I just need to grit my teeth and stick it out. My body needs sleep, even if I hardly get any real rest." I told him. "_I_ clung to _you_, didn't I?" I sighed, guessing by his silence that I was right, "I'm sorry I hit you like that…I just…"

"Panicked?" He offered.

"Yeah…" We were silent for another moment.

"When I held you…did the nightmares leave?"

"Yes…"

"Why?"

"I don't know." I answered, shaking my head, "The nightmares come from _them_, if you didn't know already. I have them all in a place inside my head I call the Manor, and when I'm awake I can keep the door shut and everyone but Sacrosanct is stuck in there, they can't get back out unless I open it again. But when I sleep…my hold on the door lessens, it's not something I can just lock up and hide the key, I have to keep it a hold on the handle to stop them from opening it, something I can't do very well in my sleep. And though they can't usually come out in their own bodies while I'm asleep, they can enter my mind. Monigan's the most active and has the most…skill, when it comes to crafting nightmares. She knows what scares me, and just how far to push it before it's too much and I wake up. Somehow…when you held me…you kept the door closed tight…but the voice is still there. That little part of me which panics, remember? It's still there, and if logic could get rid of it it'd have left a while ago." I told him, curling up into a ball with my knees hugged to my chest. The soft grass tickled my bear feet.

"I know…I know you can't stand to be touched like that, I think I'm beginning to understand that, to _really_ understand that…but is this really how you want to live? Unable to bear the touch of another human being?" He asked me.

"No…" I answered in a quiet voice, burying my face in my arms, my loose red hair coming to cover me up, hiding me from view. "It…" I hesitated, and decided that if I didn't confess this, it would eat me up inside, "It felt nice…" I murmured, "Being…held…I just can't stand it." I told him. "When…when I was a child, my parents wouldn't hold me, would hardly touch me at all. They were afraid to let me love them, afraid that if I did, _they_ would come after them. As long as they remained aloof, neither loving nor abusive, my inner demons ignored them. The reason why? Neglect was more damaging than outright hatred. They simply ignored me, like I didn't exist, like I wasn't important enough for them to feel either way. And I know it was because they were afraid for their very lives…but I don't know that I've ever forgiven them for it. Even when I obtained control over my demons, they still wouldn't acknowledge me. I was living in a house apart from theirs, they would pay for my living, my food, my water and everything, and to the public eye they were my legal parents…but in all other cases they were more like my keepers, the people who sent me money to take care of myself or something like that. I've grown up learning that physical touch is dangerous, not just for other people, but for myself, and that never really went away."

"How is it…" He murmured, "That you managed to survive for so long like this? How can you _stand_ it?"

"I never had a choice in the matter." I said, raising my head to look at him, "To live or die, it wasn't up to me." I told him bitterly. "Monigan is the most powerful of my Inner Demons next to Sacrosanct, the reason for this? Monigan was born from my desire to die, and she becomes stronger every time I do think of suicide. Rather than helping me, she's become the worst, the one I hate the most."

"If you couldn't kill yourself…what was stopping you?" He asked me, "According to what you told me, you had nothing to live for, nothing whatsoever. What's keeping you alive?"

I looked him in the eyes, "Sacrosanct." I answered flatly. "The most powerful, the most dangerous, and the only one who's determined to make sure I stay alive. Perhaps not whole, but alive. I don't know, maybe she's the only one who fully understands that if I die, so does she, so do they all. Perhaps she's my will to live or something, I don't know, and I'm not sure I care anymore. She can't keep me alive forever, eventually I'm going to grow old, and this body will simply give out one day."

"It seems to me like you're already old enough as it is." The prince murmured. "Do you think that, perhaps, if you got use to someone touching you," He placed a hand near my shoulder, hesitated, and then took it away, "Just a little bit at a time, it wouldn't be so bad?" He asked. "You could get use to it, learn to ignore your panic."

"Maybe…" I murmured. "But if you're volunteering to help, I just have one condition."

"What's that?"

"You let _me_ touch _you_." I told him, "Let _me_ initiate it, don't just come up and pat me on the shoulder without warning. Okay?"

"Okay." He smiled, and I found myself smiling back.

XD

**_"Just how many times does this guy come after you in a day!?"_** I exclaimed, having just used my braid to snatch the prince away from the impending doom of tentacle wrath and pulling him up onto the ledge.

"Well, seeing as I'm staying on the same island, he doesn't have as hard a time finding me!" He answered.

I was currently getting a bit more hands-on experience in wall-runs, lucky for me it was a lot easier to both do and practice when I had the whole one-sided spiderman deal going on and could use my daggertail as a rope, which I had to do often enough. You might not realize just how much I had to rely on the grappling quality of that chain, and the fact that it could grapple onto anything was a definite blessing. I used it for so much you might wonder how I could get away with walking around in my human form. Well, there are some parts of this place I could get through without it, most of them switches that I let the prince take care of. I was definitely no acrobat on my own, I couldn't balance on anything less than a foot wide, if even that small. I had to crawl along it, and sometimes I would say "heck with this" and force Monigan to let me ride her. _Her_ body could stick to just about anything, and it was light like vapor, so doing acrobatic stunts with her, even though she was a giant, was easy.

And she didn't like it when I turned her into a horse, so that gave me a sense of satisfaction.

Still, I was getting good with this daggertail, not only in moving around the place, but in fighting as well.

It'd just be nice if I could use it to fend off the Dahaka.

We'd just fallen down a big chasm, and, unfortunately, the prince's sword shattered when he needed it most (Big surprise), thankfully the two of us got through it well enough, but it was incredibly annoying when we spotted a new sword, and the Dahaka appeared and tossed it off the platform. I'd screamed about that in the game, and so I was ranting about it now. It wasn't fair man! You can't take my shiny, no one takes my shiny!!! Okay, so it's the _prince's_ shiny, but still!

We were currently at the end of our rope. The prince was nearly out of sand, I was low on health, and the Dahaka was gaining. But we saw the waterfall which fell over the sand portal, and dove through it like our lives depended on it (which they did, duh), and, once again, only _then_ did Kukarkin decide to appear. **_"You know,"_** I began irritably, **_"If you just stayed with us, you might have a better chance of catching him, and you could chase him off for us!"_**

**"Oh yes, you'd like that wouldn't you, darling? And let Gorra find him in the time I spend waiting for him to show up again to start chasing you!"** And with that she was off again.

"I hope she does catch him." The prince huffed. "Maybe afterwards he won't be in any condition to bother us." He said, as I began using the daggertail in order to hit the big buttons and figure out the right order for them. It was much faster this way because I didn't have to run up the walls, I could just stand there and hit them.

"I've been meaning to ask you…" The prince began, "How is it that you seem to know this place so well, and yet you claim to have never been here?" He asked.

**_"Ever heard of a thing called a map?"_** I answered, smirking at him.

"What map, I've never seen you use a map." He said.

**_"It's tattooed on my butt, remember?"_** I snickered.

"First of all, I know very well there is no map on your…end. Why would there be? How is it that you seem to know every inch of this place, where the traps are and where the strengthening disks are?" He pressed on as the two of us stepped through the sand portal.

**_"Do you really want to know?"_** I asked when we got to the past again.

"Yes, I want to know." He answered.

**_"The truth or a far more believable lie?"_** I questioned.

"What do you mean?"

**_"The fact is that you likely won't believe me, even if I tell you. Let's put it this way, say I went to a Seer, whose pool can show you moving images, and through that pool I saw a lot of things, not just this place, but many, many others. And so many times I went to this Seer for the same images that I learned them by heart, and this place was one of those I saw over and over again. So while the map is not on my butt, per say, it is in my mind. Believe me when I say I had no idea this place was real while I was exploring it through the visions of that pool, but that's the best way I can describe how I know where to go and what to do here."_** I told him.

"I see…so what was the name of this Seer?" He asked.

**_"Ubisoft."_** I answered, **_"Yeah, and you thought you had a weird name."_**

He made a face, "You don't even know my name."

**_"That's not for lack of trying."_**

"Forget it."

**_"Oh COME ON!!! Puleeeeeez!!! Tell me your name!!!"_** I begged, almost like a little child.

"No!"

**_"Tell me your name."_**

"No!"

**_"Tell me your name."_**

"No!"

**_"Tell me your name."_**

"No!"

**_"Tell me your name."_**

"No!"

Ten minutes later while we were fighting after the prince got his new sword…

**_"Tell me your name."_**

"CAN WE DO THIS AFTER THE SAND MONSTERS ARE DEAD!?"

**_"Why? I wanna know!!!"_ **

"No!"

Another ten minutes later while he was attempting to take a wiz…

**_"Tell me your name!"_ **

"KAIDA!!!"

**_"Oh calm down it's not like I can see through walls."_** I scoffed.

_"Those poor plants, though."_

"MONIGAN!!!" We both yelled at once. She disappeared laughing.

XP

No time to do the FAQ, got chores I gotta do and I wanted to get this chapter out today. So, yeah.


	10. Ready, Steady, Go!

A/N: Anyone watch Full Metal Alchemist? READY STEADY GO!!! XD

XP

"Um Kaida?" The prince began bracingly, and he paused. I did too, and I turned to look at him. We had just finished the Garden Tower, power was now flowing freely to the Mechanical tower, the door was now open, and I wasn't sure what was going to happen next. Likely the prince had noticed my disquiet, up until now I had been wondering, which way was my story going to go with this? What was going to happen? But I turned to him anyway.

"Yes?" I asked.

"I've been thinking, about what we're going to do when all this is over."

"'We'?" I quoted, bemused.

"Yes, _we_." He answered.

"Well _you're_ obviously going back to Babylon," I said, wondering where he was going with this.

"But where are _you_ going to go?" he asked. "From what you've told me, you came here through some method of teleportation, correct?" I nodded, "Well, how are you going to find your home? You don't know where you are, or where _it_ is."

"That's simple." I answered. "I'm not going back home." I said, dropping my gaze and staring out to the main hall.

"What?"

"That's one of the things I spoke to Kaileena about back when she gave me this ring. My home…my home is too far away for me to ever think of seeing it ever again. And it's not somewhere that a simple ship could get to either." I told him.

"In that case, come to Babylon with me." He said.

"Say what?" I asked, completely taken aback by this. You may think it incredible, but I honestly hadn't thought of what I was going to do after this was all over, or where I would go. I suppose I simply had the sense of finishing the game, and then sitting back to wait until the next one came out to order it, like I did the first time I got Warrior Within. I know it seems stupid, but that's how all of this felt to me. Just a game. Sure a Game Over meant certain death, but we'd avoided that so far, hadn't we? It was almost easier like this than in the game because you didn't make stupid mistakes, _and_ I had a grapple-anything daggertail as one of my weapons, as well as a ponytail chain I could use like an extra rope for the prince.

I hadn't thought about it, I simply hadn't thought. I didn't want to think about not going home, not having my old life back, because I felt guilty. I was suppose to strive to go back home, but if I thought about it…Sacrosanct was right, I _didn't_ want to go back. It was a day-to-day string of suffering, with nothing to occupy my mind, my time, my energy but worlds that weren't real at the time. Wanting to go back home…it was an excuse, and I knew it. I didn't really want to go back home, I just wanted to _want_ it, just so I'd have something to work for, something to live for.

The something I was living for now? That was the end of the game, of course. But after the game? After the game, then what?

"Come with me. You can start a new life there, the greatest city on earth." He held his hands out to me in a gesture of complete honesty, which I could see in his eyes.

I let out a small wry snicker, "What, I go to Babylon with you, and then what? Aside from you-know-_what_, what do you suppose they're all going to think if you come back after so long away from home with a woman?"

He thought for a moment, "That…I intend to marry her?" He offered.

"_Yeah_," I said, wondering why he wasn't a bit more reluctant about that.

"Would that be such a bad thing?" He asked me, frowning.

"What, that they think you're going to marry me? Bad for your image maybe."

"How so?"

"I don't know, are they going to assume the worst if it gets out that you've been hanging around a woman you don't intend to marry? I guess in Babylon they wouldn't care if you're not that concerned about it."

"No, I don't think anyone would care." He said in an oddly flat voice, and I looked at him questioningly, but he wouldn't meet my eyes, and he turned to proceed into the main room.

"Hey hang on a minute, what's—" But the imminent arrival of the Dahaka cut me off. "Oh _hell_." I whispered as the both of us turned around to see it in the door way.

"The Dahaka! It's learned to follow me in the past!" He exclaimed.

The next thing I knew I was hooked around the middle by a familiar arm, and was thrown across the room, well out of the reach of the Dahaka, and away from the unfolding scene. "Prince!" I exclaimed in warning.

"Kaida!" He looked, and let out a growl of frustration at the appearance of the Wraith, "I don't have time for this!"

My heart hammered against my chest as I watched. It all happened in slow motion, the prince ran past the Wraith, and the Dahaka's tentacles stretched. The scene blurred in my eyes, it warped, and one moment I saw the wraith being caught by the Dahaka, the next, the wraith jumped right over the tentacles, and they closed around the prince. He cried out, one moment the prince, the next, the wraith, and then the prince again.

**"Delaes neeb sah etaf ruoy." **The Dahaka said triumphantly, and he disappeared in a black cloud.

I got to my feet, breathing hard, staring at the place the prince had been, and where the Wraith now was. I stared at him, almost as though I expected there to be another flicker, and he would be the prince again, the current prince, and _not_ the wraith.

The wraith prince took one look at me, and then began fighting with his face, or rather, the mask.

It came off, and like a dark cloud, the wraith's skin was shed, and there was the prince again. I stared, and he looked back at me, "Before you get excited, I can explain…at least, I hope I can…"

"That's the Mask of the Wraith, isn't it?" I asked him, and he stared at me, surprised.

"You knew—er, I mean, you _know_ of it?" he asked, bewildered.

"Yeah, I guess…well…I guess I pretended not to in the other time?" I questioned.

"There seems to be a lot that you pretend not to know." He said, frowning slightly, but he shook his head, "Yes, this is the Mask of the Wraith, and I've been using it to come back and…and change what happened." There was pain in his expression as he stared down at the silver mask, and then he held it out to me, "But I'm not just going to change my own fate, Kaileena's fate as well, and that's something that _you_ can do." He said.

"With this?" I asked, staring at him as I took the mask. It felt cold, and silky, like the wraith's skin, but hard like the metal it was made out of.

"Yes." He answered, nodding his head. "It's a part that the mural which showed us the mask told us, a part which I'm fairly sure _you_ didn't know about. I wondered about your reaction when you saw it, but now I think I understand. This mask can be used for more than simply going back in time as I had. According to what you found on that mural, _you_ could use it for another purpose. You can send Kaileena to her home."

"I can…I can _what_?"

"Sacrosanct told us about it. She told us, told you, that Kaileena was bound to this world, not only by her physical body, but by her standing as the Empress of Time. But if that title were taken from her, she could become herself once more, and this mask could send her back to the world she was born." He explained.

"But, how can we strip Kaileena of her title? I'm guessing it's not just something you can step down from is i—"

**_"No, it isn't. The title must be taken."_** Sacrosanct said, and from the prince's expression, she was speaking to the both of us now.

"How?" I asked with some trepidation.

**_"Someone has to take her place. Someone who is able to use the power of the sands without an artifact, someone whose body's purpose is to house entities, or rather, whose mind is able to play host to these entities. The title of Empress of Time is like such an entity, it cannot be simply destroyed, it must take a new host. Believe it or not, however, you wouldn't be the only candidate in a thousand worlds for such a thing. Plenty of others that don't have their inner demons run amuck inside their minds could take the title. But the Prince's body is ill-adapt for such a thing at the present, and he cannot use the sands without an artifact either."_** She told us.

"So, in order to send Kaileena home, _I_ would have to become the Empress of Time?" I asked slowly, frowning deeply. "So what's the catch? Other than the whole having to die and create the Sands of Time business?" I asked.

**_"That fate was tied around Kaileena and Kaileena alone, it would not apply to you, especially if Kaileena was sent to her own world. The Mask of the Wraith truly does give one the power to defy their fate."_** She explained.

"So what do _you_ think of this?" I asked her.

**_"I want to keep you alive, little girl. And I could care less about the methods."_** She answered silkily. But there was something in her voice, and I suddenly realized what had to have happened. The prince was here, he had come back in time with the mask, but where was _I_?

I knew the answer.

"Prince…How did I die?" I asked, looking him straight in the eye.

His face lost its color, he looked rather sick, "You…you didn't die…" He was a horrible liar, "You just…sort of…I don't know, you didn't come with me and I don't…know…how…" I stared steadily into his face, telling him without words that I knew he was lying.

"I need to know if I'm going to avoid it this time around." I told him matter-of-factly.

The next moment his arms were around me, and he was holding me so tightly, I thought my ribs might break any second now. "There was a cave-in…" He murmured into my ear. "I had no more sand…you pushed me out of the way…you were crushed." There was so much pain in his voice that I felt the growing panic and slight anger at the hug ebb away, to be replaced with an odd sensation that started from the pit of my stomach and seemed to work its way into my fingers and toes. I saw an image of rocks falling down, of me shoving the prince forward, him turning around, only my hand poking out of the rubble. Him working desperately, begging under his breath, screaming my name, moving the rubble until he could see my face. My expression, frozen in a look of serenity, almost a smile on my lips as I watched death with a peace of mind I had only ever once truly experienced before.

But I could feel the anguish, saw him cling to my body, hold it tightly to him, begging me to wake up. And when I didn't, there were tears.

I saw as if in swift motion him taking the Mask of the Wraith, putting it on, heard him tell me that he wouldn't let me die this time.

I watched as his form looked over the edge of the Alter Room, and watch me coming after Shahdee. Saw him look down at me in the Mechanical tower, staring straight at me. And then, finally, when I fell after the Dahaka chase. His cry, watching him leap from where he was, snatching me out of the air, and using a curtain to make sure our fall wasn't fatal, but we still crumbled, and I watched my own leg being broken while my jaw hit a rock. He picked me up though, and carried me as far as he could go, up several flights of stairs, until there was that far-up ledge which he didn't dare climb with me in his arms. So he simply settled down, and held me with my back on top of him, turning himself into my bed. He touched my cheek tenderly, and I saw myself stir, grasp his hand, thinking it was an ice pack, and press it to where my cheek was.

And now everything was coming back to the present time, to the here and now, and the prince was slowly, but reluctantly, letting me go. I backed away, shaken a bit, having seen my own death, almost as though I had lived it. I felt guilty, because I actually felt, in my gut, the complete and utter tranquility of watching my death speed down towards me, just as I had before. The knowledge that it was over, that I could finally rest in peace, that I could sleep…forever…

And, just as before, there was the sense of being thwarted, of having it ripped from me by the prince, that peace, that bliss…in the arms of death. And there was the guilt, the guilt that I was feeling this way, when the Prince was standing here, the only person who wanted me to live. He seemed like such a minority…but then, even if it's only one person who doesn't want you to die, it still means something, it means a very considerable something.

"So…" I murmured, trying to shake myself of the images, "What was the whole…the whole holding me when I was knocked out all about?" I asked him.

"I didn't want you to have any nightmares, even though I knew you wouldn't understand at the time, and would be angry at me." He answered, not looking at me. "Listen, Kaida…there's something I want, something I want to ask you…"

"If it's whether or not I'll go to Babylon with you, you already asked that, remember?" I told him.

"That's not what I was going to ask you…but I guess it can wait until you have an answer for _that_ question." He said.

"Give me some time to think about it, okay?" I asked, giving him a small smile.

"Alright." He nodded. "Um…also…" He slipped something off his ring finger, and held it out to me, "I took this…it gave me considerable strength, but I don't want to be wearing it when we face Kaileena, I forgot to tell you. She enchanted the ring with a bit more than just keeping your form. She made it so that she could bind you. I…" He shook his head and looked away from me, "You tried to stop us, shouted at me not to kill her…but I didn't listen to you, I was so sure…I should have listened…I'm sorry, but _this time_, this time I _will_ listen." He told me.

"And so will she." I said, putting the Mask of the Wraith away, "We'll make her."

"One more thing," He said before I could take off my own ring to prevent Kaileena from using it against me this time, "Before we go, I want to tell you something…"

"You've already told me something, a lot of somethings actually, but go on." I said, and he gave me a wry smile.

"When…when I held you, and your nightmares left you that night in the Garden Tower…you automatically assumed I held you because it stopped your nightmares…but that wasn't entirely true." He told me, "For many years now…I have been having nightmares of my own…nightmares about the Dahaka. That night, I remembered dreaming of some bright light, and taking hold of it. The Dahaka melted away, and the nightmares faded. After a time I awoke enough to realize that it was you…and I realized that you'd been having nightmares yourself, because you and I were both recovering from cold sweats. We clung to each other, we calmed each other's nightmares…I just didn't have the…courage, to tell you. I thought it better that you thought I held you because I wanted to calm _your_ nightmares…and you wouldn't be so mad at me." He spread his hands out to me, "The more I've learned about you," He said, "The more I realize that you're likely the only one who could ever truly understand, more than I do, what it's like to be chased by something you can't escape, to live so many years, to know what the meaning of fear truly is. I'm…glad, you came here. Not just because of all the help you've been, of the many times in which you saved my life, but because of that. And…well…to tell you the truth, when I pictured what my closest companion, what my dearest friend would look like, he did _not_ have the body of a beautiful woman." He smiled wryly, and I found myself smiling back.

"This has to be the sappiest thing I've ever…" I sighed, "Alright, my turn then? Okay I'll play along. I never even dared to picture _myself_ with a 'best friend', male or female. Never bothered, what good would it have done me? But…you're the only friend, the first friend, the first person I could ever call a 'friend'. You feel like…like the family I only read about in stories, the family I wanted, but didn't dare to dream of or to hope for." I said.

"…Family?" He asked. I would like to say the tone of his voice was touched, or at least pleased, but it wasn't. It was almost…disappointed, and I couldn't understand why. He'd been acting strangely for a while before we came to the main room here, and now? What was up with him lately?

"Yeah, like my brother or something." I smiled, "Don't you think that's basically how it's been? At each others' throats one moment, and the next doing our very best to save one another's throats? Arguing about stupid things and poking fun at each other? All we need now are the fist-fights and the running to our parents about how the other kept touching their things." We both chuckled at this. But…I somewhat felt as though _his_ were…forced, like he was only laughing because he was expected to. There was an uncomfortable pause in which I took a deep breath and said, "So…are we ready to do this?"

"Yeah." He answered, nodding. "Here, you keep this. It was yours to begin with." And he dropped an exact copy of the same ring that was still on my finger. "You better take yours off too."

"Right, I'll do that." I said, slipping the ring off my own and then, after the transformation, I put both rings away. **_"You ready?"_** I asked.

"Yes." He answered, nodding.

**_"Let's go."_ **

XP

Kioko: Awwwwww, how _sweeeeeeet_. (Barfs)

Kaida: I agree, WHAT THE HECK!?

Rhea: YOU'RE ALL SO MEAN TO MEEEEEEE!!! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!!

Prince: WHAT THE HECK!? WHAT HAPPENED TO MY TOTAL BAD-(BEEP) ATTITUDE!? THIS ISN'T COOL!!!

Rhea: I'll let the FAQ answer that. Hmmm…eeny meeny miny KIOKO!

Kioko: _What_? Why me!?

Rhea: Because you've never done it.

Prince: NEITHER HAVE I!!!

Kioko: Yeah, well, no one cares.

Prince: You're mean.

Kioko: So what else is new?

Q: How come Sacrosanct is being so helpful all of the sudden when she's suppose to hate Kaileena for giving Kaida the ring?

A: Hm, I don't know, why don't we ask her? Hey Sacrosanct!!!

Everyone!.! NO!!! DON'T!!! JUST LEAVE HER ALONE!!!

A: Cowards.

Q: What _did_ happen to the prince's bad-(beep) attitude?

A: He just watched Kaida _die_. Watching someone you care greatly about kick the bucket isn't something you can simply walk away from unscathed. Many say that people never change, but that's only half true. People _do_ change, all the time in fact, it's simply that some things are harder to change than others. Take Rhea, for instance, no matter how many times I tie her up and hang her over a boiling cauldron for interrupting me, she's just going to _somehow_ manage to get out of that mess and come back to ask me the same exact questions over and _over_ and_ over_ and _over…_(Twitch twitch twitch)

Rhea: I KNOW YOU LOVE MEEEEEEE!!!

Q: How come you don't just get a restraining order?

A: Because she's useful for amusement purposes. Also, dragon's blood sells for a buttload on the witches' market these days, especially since most of the lesser breeds have made their homes on suns, and the higher breeds are…well, let's just say that Rhea's is probably the only blood of the higher breeds that's in circulation. (Under breath) Although if my clients ever found out I was getting it because she's an idiot they might ask for their money back…

Q: What was that second question that the prince wanted to ask Kaida?

A: Impatient aren't we? Why don't you wait for the next chapter to come out and find out _that_ way?

Q: Is the prince in love with Kaida?

A: Psh, how should _I_ know? I stopped trying to understand what goes on in male minds a long time ago and I've never looked back.

Prince: I'M NOT!!! I'M NOT!!!

A: Oh, okay then there you go.

Q: Is Rhea lesbian?

A: …PFTAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA—

Q: (Taps foot impatiently)

A: —HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAHA!!! HO boy, (wipes tears from eyes) what in the _world_ made you ask _that_?!

Q: The fact that she seems to be in love with you for some reason?

A: That's a purely plutonic love, you moron. Rhea's too much of an obsessive fan girl to be _lesbian_. (Still laughing)

Rhea: I'm not _that_ obsessive…

A: Oh yes you are. (Smirks, and pulls out Fierce Deity plushie doll)

Rhea!.! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! (Glomps plushie) (Heart, heart, heart, heart…)

A: See? Until next time or whatever. I don't really care. Also, make sure you review, the more reviews she gets the more time she spends reading it and the _less_ time she spends bugging _me_.


	11. The Empress of Time

A/N: (singing) Sunbeams stare, down on me/ in a dream of a midsummer love dream/ a mayfly flies, far far away/ desperately seeking love…

XP

We entered the hourglass room, and there was Kaileena. "Time's almost up, you ready?" Asked the prince. She nodded, and without another word, without telling her to join him (or, perhaps, us) in setting out for Babylon, the three of us walked toward the throne room.

Kaileena went straight over to the lever that would shut us in, but paused as both the prince and I walked over to the throne where her swords were. He picked them up, "It doesn't have to be this way Kaileena!" He said, and he tossed them across the room, apparently thinking she wouldn't be able to get to them.

"So, you told him?" Kaileena asked me, glaring, "You decided whose side you're on now?"

**_"The problem with you, Kaileena, is that you keep thinking that there has to be two sides to this."_** I told her, putting my hands on my hips.

"And you insist upon holding to that foolish notion that you can defy fate all on your own! Well, I suppose we are alike, because I have decided that I am going to change my fate!" She said, and she summoned the swords to her.

**_"Then maybe you should stop and listen to me!"_** I exclaimed.

"The problem is that I _did_ listen, I am going to change my fate! And you have to decide just which of us you want to see the victor." She said, and she lunged at us with her swords.

I blocked her attack and kicked her back just as the prince destroyed the wall behind the throne, and the two of us both ran through it. "You cannot run away from your fate!" She exclaimed, coming after us.

"Whose running?" The prince asked, and we both jumped out of the way. The next moment the prince had sent Kaileena through the portal, where she gave us one last look of surprise before disappearing into the future, or the present in any case.

We followed her.

"So, have you decided yet?" Asked the prince as we ran along the beat up passage, and went down into the Mystic Caves to find Kaileena.

**_"Decided what again?"_** I questioned.

"If you'll come with me to Babylon." He answered as we made short work of the sentries.

**_"I'll make you a deal, Prince."_** I said, taking out several blade acrobats at once with my chain, **_"You tell me your name, and I'll even make Monigan build the boat for us."_** I told him.

"What!? Are you still on about that!?" He exclaimed.

**_"Of course I am! All this time and I still don't even know you're name!"_** I answered.

"What's wrong with calling me 'Prince'?! Can't _that_ be my name?" He asked.

**_"Uh, no!"_** I answered huffily.

"Well why not!?"

**_"Because it's not your name!"_** I answered, **_"I don't have a problem calling you 'Prince' all the time."_ **

"Alright!" He said, "Alright I give in, you win! I'll _tell_ you, just don't laugh, okay?" He said, looking as though this were costing him a great deal.

**_"Make you a deal, so long as you have reason not to like it, I won't laugh."_** I told him.

"Fair enough. My name," I held my breath while he took a deep one, "Is Ryuujin."

**_"Ryuujin."_** I repeated blankly.

"Yes, are you going to laugh now?" He asked, looking as though he regretted his action _very_ much.

**_"Ryuujin, you got me all worked up over Ryuujin!? Do you even know where that MEANS!?"_** I demanded, and he looked quite surprised.

"You've heard that name before!?" He exclaimed.

**_"It's Japanese you dolt! It's the combination of two words, 'Ryuu', which means 'dragon', and 'jin' which means 'god'! Put the two together, and you get 'Dragon God', or 'Dragon King' depending on the translation!"_** I exclaimed. **_"Your father obviously thought a lot about it and somehow managed to learn the language well enough to pick that name out for you. You should be ashamed of yourself!"_**

"You're not serious are you?" He asked me.

**_"About the ashamed part, no, I was joking. But Ryuujin really does mean Dragon King."_** I said.

"I…didn't know that…"

**_"Sorta gives it a whole new sound, doesn't it? But this is perfect! I have a nick-name for you! Sui-Riu!"_** I said.

"Excuse me?"

**_"Sui-Riu is the name of the Japanese dragon king. A rain dragon which controls the weather. Or would you rather be Tien Lung? The Chinese celestial dragon that guards the gates to heaven?"_** I asked, smirking at him.

"I prefer 'prince', if you don't mind." He said. "Though…Sui-Riu has a nice ring to it…" He said, considering.

**_"I'll have to ask your father how he knows Japanese when we get to Babylon."_** I said, and he turned, and smiled at me.

"Yes, I suppose you will."

XD

"Kaileena!" The prince called, and the two of us jumped down to the battle field, where she was waiting for us. "Listen to me, Kaileena, we don't have to fight." He said.

"Only one of us can cheat fate today, prince, and it will be me!" She declared, lunging at us.

**_"No, Kaileena, you can both cheat fate!"_** I exclaimed, getting in the way and knocking her back with my left blade. I then took out the Mask of the Wraith, **_"With this."_** I told her.

"You, that mask, how did you get it!?" Kaileena demanded.

"You and I have battled once before, and you lost. But this time around, neither of us needs to die. The Mask will give us the power to cheat fate, we can send you _home_, back to your own world, Kaileena!" The Prince said.

Kaileena let out a scream of frustration and looked like she wanted to tear her hair out of her scalp. "YOU DON'T GET IT!!! NEITHER OF YOU DO!!!" She roared at us. "Don't you think I've _tried_!? I did, I tried countless times to use the mask. I _know_ it could send me back home, I _know_, and I've done everything under the sun, but _it won't work_!!! Fate has bound me too tightly for it to let me go! And you, you will not escape your fate either. You will die by _my_ hands!" She declared, pointing at the prince with one of her swords.

**_"And what you don't understand,"_** I said, **_"Is that you are not bound by fate itself, but by your standing as the Empress of Time."_**

Kaileena stared at me, "What? What are you talking about?"

**_"Simply put,"_** Sacrosanct said, and Kaileena jumped, looking around for a voice that had no body, **_"When you arrived in this world, you had to craft that body or else you would die. When you did this, you somehow took on the identity of the Empress of Time. And it is that identity, that entity, which binds you to this world. With that body, there's no way you can travel to another world, and without that body, there is no way you can survive long enough in this world to travel to another. That is how you have become trapped. The title of Empress was sewn into that body, and it cannot leave. However, that title could be given to someone else, and you would be free."_**

"Oh?" Kaileena murmured, "Who? Who would willingly take this identity, knowing what fate would have in store for them? Knowing that they will die to create the Sands of Time?"

**_"I would."_** I told her, and Kaileena's eyes grew wide, **_"But you misunderstand. That fate is wound around you and you alone. If I were to take the title of Empress of Time, that part of the timeline would be erased, as though it never existed. Right?"_** I asked Sacrosanct.

**_"Precisely."_** She answered smoothly.

"I don't understand…why?" Asked Kaileena, "Why would you…why would you do this for me?"

**_"Because I like your boobs."_** I answered, and she stared at me incredulously, **_"Because I want to be the Empress of Time, do I need a reason?"_** I asked her, **_"I don't want to see you die, okay? I want you to have a happy ending, is that so wrong?"_** I asked her.

She looked at me, her green eyes staring directly into my amber ones, and her expression when she realized I was sincere, became one of hope, of eyes that could see a doorway, a way out of the hell that had been her life. It became an expression I had seen before, an expression of serenity, of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, the expression on my own face as I watched death approach me, as I felt it's cold embrace. "I…will be forever in your debt." She murmured to me, and she held her hands out.

**_"Take her hands."_** Sacrosanct told me, and, hesitantly, I did so.

Something passed from her into me in that moment, and both of us closed our eyes. It was like a sandstorm, the dust kicked up was being blown from her into me. Golden bits of glitter, so small you wouldn't see them but for their reflective quality as they caught the sunlight and sent it in another direction. It began to congregate inside of me, shaping and contorting, growing ever larger, into a brightly shining form which had no shape.

It could have gone on for only a few seconds, for hours, for an eternity. A sense of timelessness stole over me, and it's impossible to describe, how can you put words to the feeling of being without time? Or rather, of existing apart from time itself. No, better yet, the feeling of _becoming_ time itself, becoming the Empress of Time. It was no longer an obstacle, moving back and forth, swiftly or slowly, it didn't seem to matter. I was no longer bound by these rules, I could see, clearly, beyond time. And, once again, I saw my own death. The first thing to ever come to my vision like this, was the time and manor of my death. My body being crushed against jagged rocks at the edge of the sea.

Was this how Kaileena had seen it? The first thing she sees when coming into this power, was her own death? Perhaps that's why she felt it was such a poison, _she_ didn't want to die.

And perhaps that was the real reason why I was the best candidate for this power, because a secret, guilty, honest part of me _did_, and felt a sense of peace every time I watched it happen. How Ironic, who could have thought that anyone would find comfort in visions of their own death?

When it was over, a look of utter blissfulness spread across Kaileena's face, and, wordlessly, I held the Mask of the Wraith out to her. **_"Goodbye, Kaileena."_** I said, smiling, **_"I hope you find happiness in your own world."_**

She looked at me, the first real smile to ever cross her face, and said, "Goodbye, Kaida, Empress of Time. Goodbye, Prince of Persia."

"Goodbye." Said the prince.

And with that, Kaileena put the mask on her face. In a whirl of golden sand, she was gone, and the silver mask fell with a clatter to the ground.

I picked it up and put it away, then turned to the prince. **_"We aren't finished."_** I told him. **_"The Dahaka isn't vanquished, now that I'm the Empress of Time, he will come after me."_**

As if on cue, we heard a roar, and the next moment the dark shape that had hunted us down for so long appeared, and jumped onto the platform with us. **"Enilemit eht ni nettirw ton saw siht!!!" He roared. "Nettirw neeb sah tahw yfed uoy erad woh! Sevil ruoy htiw snis ruoy rof yap llahs uoy!"**

**_"Thgif a tuohtiw nwod og ot gniog er'ew kniht t'nod tsuj!"_** I said, preparing myself for battle. **_"Prince, that sword you have, is it the Water Sword?"_** I asked.

"Yes, it is, but why!? What does that have to do with anything!?" The prince exclaimed, "What's the Dahaka still doing here?! What does it want with you!? I don't get it, why should he come after you if your fate is not the same as Kaileena's?" He asked.

**_"Just get ready for a fight. Believe it or not, the Dahaka is weak against water."_** I told him, as the Dahaka slammed down in front of us, **_"The Water Sword can, and will, hurt him. We need to knock him into the water."_** I told him.

"I see. Very well then, prepare yourself beast!" The prince said, raising his sword as the Dahaka's tentacles came after us, he was about to cut them down, but then, suddenly, a familiar voice cried throughout the room.

**"Waaaaaaaiiiiiit!!!"** Kukarkin all but screamed.

The tentacles pulled back, and I actually expected the Dahaka to turn and start running…

But he didn't.

Instead he stood there, looking up, and he waited for Kukarkin to swoop down to us. **"Baby, what do you think you're _doing_?!"** She demanded, stalking over to stand between us and the Dahaka, her hands on her hips.

**"Enilemit eht tcetorp tsum I. Yaw ym fo tuo yats, uoy truh ot tnaw t'nod I."** He told her.

**"Don't want to hurt me!?"** She exclaimed incredulously, **"What do you think's going to happen to me if my creator dies!?"** She asked, gesturing over to where I was, **"_I_ die too!" **

But rather than this be incentive, the Dahaka seemed…distinctly disgruntled. And something in the back of my mind seemed to click (or rather snap really loudly and painfully), and I stalked right up into the conversation, **_"Whoa, whoa, whoa, TIME OUT! What the crap!? What the heck's going on here!?"_** I demanded.

**"Oh, Kaida, didn't you know?"** Kukarkin asked, and she went over to snake her grip around the Dahaka's right arm, which he did not struggle out of, **"We're in love!"** She told me, looking up at the Dahaka with hearts in her eyes.

"Kaida…every last part of my mind just went blank. What, does, she, _mean_?" The Prince asked in a dead, hollow voice.

**_"'We', as in, both of you?"_** I asked, looking up at the Dahaka, who stared down at me, colorless eyes burning into my own golden ones, and he nodded.

**"Tcerroc si taht."** He told me. **"Namow ym won si Nikrakuk. Taht htiw melborp a evah uoy od?"**

**_"You're serious…"_** I said, my mouth dropping open, **_"You're f(beep)ing serious! YES I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS!!! I have a problem because you're 'woman' is my inner demon!!! I can't just fork her over, she's stuck with me, and I'm stuck with her. Give me one good reason why we shouldn't just kill you now and be rid of you? Why should I risk you coming after us again and again, not only to kill the Prince and I, but also to be with one of my inner demons!?"_** I demanded.

The Dahaka glared at me and crossed his arms over his chest, he was about to retort, but Kukarkin cut him off, **"Darling, didn't you tell me that you'd do anything to stay with me? Didn't you?"** She asked, moving to stand between us.

He paused a moment, and then answered, rather grudgingly, **"…Sey…"**

**"Well, there's only one way we can make this work, and to do that, you have to be nice to my mistress and agree to what I'm about to say, alright?"** She asked. She waited, and then the Dahaka relaxed, and nodded.

**_"And just what do you have in mind?"_** I asked Kukarkin suspiciously, and she suddenly became rather tentative, giving me a nervously winning smile.

**"Well…see…I talked to Sacrosanct and she, ah, she sorta told me how the Dahaka and I could be together."** She answered, clasping her hands together, her eyes pleading already even though she hadn't asked for anything…_yet_.

**_"Does it involve me getting rid of you?"_** I asked, though I already knew the answer to that.

**"Well…no…Kinda…the opposite."** She answered tentatively.

**_"The, opposite?"_** I repeated, not entirely sure I liked where this was going.

**"Now, since we already know that if the Dahaka fought you, he wouldn't win. First because of the Water Sword the Prince has, and second because you could force me, as well as a lot of others, to help you throw him into the water. Well, since the Dahaka would have died anyway, I'm sure he wouldn't protest to this…it's just…"**

**_"It's just that I have to agree to it. Right?"_** I surmised, and she nodded, **_"Exactly what is it that you want me to do?"_**

Kukarkin took in a deep breath, and then said, **"Will-you-make-the-Dahaka-one-of-you're-inner-demons!?"** In a very fast voice. I stared at her, my eyes bulging wide, **"You will!? Oh-thank-you-thank-you-thank-you!!!"** She exclaimed, hugging me around the middle.

**_"HELL NO!!!"_** I yelled, shoving her away, **_"What the heck, I want to get rid of you, not make more!!!"_** I yelled.

The Dahaka advanced on me, looking murderous, **"Namow ym morf detarapes eb ton lliw I."** He said.

**"Now, now, calm down, Baby."** Kukarkin said nervously.

**_"Even if I were to agree to this!"_** I said, looking the Dahaka straight in the eyes, **_"Do you even know what that would mean?! If you became my Inner Demon, you would be just like Kukarkin. You would be subject to me, you would have to do what I want, whatever I want, and you wouldn't have a choice in the matter, you wouldn't even be able to resist. I'd be like your god, if I wanted you to fight for me, to battle an army for me, you would have to do it whether you wanted to or not. Heck, if I wanted to put you in a pink tutu and have you dance to the Nut Cracker, you would have to do it!"_** I told him.

**"She's actually done that before, to Kroich. It was very amusing."** Kukarkin said, smiling nervously up at the Dahaka.

**"Erac t'nod I."** The Dahaka told me evenly, **"Efil ym lla enilemit eht devres ev'I, Nikrakuk eb dluow ouy gnivres ot ecnereffid ylno eht."** He informed me.

**_"You're serious."_** I said, flatly, **_"You, are absolutely, freak'n serious!!!"_** I couldn't believe it! One moment I'm yanking an axe out of Kukarkin's head, which was thrown by _him_, and now he's ready to follow Kukarkin to the ends of the earth!? WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN!? AND HOW—no, no, don't answer that, don't answer _either_ of those questions, I DON'T WANT TO KNOW!!!

**"Sey."** He answered.

**_"What do you think of this!?"_** I exclaimed, rounding on the prince, who looked surprised that I was asking him. Until now, he seemed happy just to hang back and watch as it all unfolded.

"I think that if it truly is possible for the Dahaka to become your Inner Demon, that you would be in complete control of him, it would be almost as good as killing him. I don't see you letting _him_ torment you at all, not like…that other."

**_"Kagero."_** I said, **_"So, you think I should do it? I should let him become my Inner Demon?"_** I asked.

"That," He said, "Is completely up to you. It's not my place to say either way. I'm just letting you know that if you chose to do so, rather than killing him, _I_ won't have a problem with it. Of course, it's not as though he's going to be _my_ inner demon, is it? So it's your choice." He told me.

**"Please, please, please, pleeeeeeeease!!!"** Kukarkin begged, getting on her knees and throwing her arms around my leg, **"I'll do anything, _anything_!!! I won't question your sexuality anymore, I won't say naughty things in front of other people anymore, and, of course, I _definitely_ won't go after 'anything that has a cock' anymore! PLEAAAAAAAASE I'M BEGGING YOUUUUUUU!!!"** She cried.

**_"Augh!"_** I let out, smacking myself in the forehead, and then rubbing my face with my hands, **_"I cannot believe I'm doing this…"_** I grumbled.

**"YESS!!!"** Kukarkin cried, jumping over to hug the Dahaka affectionately around the neck.

**_"Okay, Sacrosanct, what do I do now?"_** I asked.

**_"Allow me."_** She answered in an oddly, and disturbingly, pleased tone of voice.

XP

Kaida: …I am disturbed beyond rational thought…DID WE HAVE TO DO THIS!?!?

Rhea: Don't look at _me_!

Kaida: YOU'RE THE FREAK'N AUTHORESS!!! OF COURSE I'M GOING TO LOOK AT YOU!!!

Rhea: Waaaaaaah! It just happened okay? Sometimes I don't have any control over what happens it just _does_!!!

Kioko: _Un_believable, I most certainly did _not_ see that coming. Congratulations, Rhea, your brain functions have now become so erratic that they're surprising even _you_. I knew it was only a matter of time. See, this is what happens when you let your characters run the story.

Kaida: I refuse to view either Kukarkin _or_ the Dahaka as 'characters'.

Prince: Um, I'm with her on that one.

Dahaka: **Rettam eht ni eciohc a evah uoy eveileb t'nod I.**

Prince: GAAAAAAAHHH!!! WHAT'S HE DOING HERE!?!? HE'S NOT A CHARACTER, HE'S NOT A CHARACTER!!!

Kaida: Do _not_ let him do the FAQ!!!

Rhea: Don't worry, I'm not letting him do the FAQ…I'm letting Sacrosanct!!!

Everyone: . NO!!!

Sacrosanct: **_Yes._**

Everyone: (shrinks back) yes ma'am…

Q: S-s-so, uh, er, wh-why _are_ you helping them?

A: **_An interesting question, mortal. But I'm afraid that if I tell you I'll have to make sure you never repeat what you heard, and I just assume keep you ignorant._**

Q: Right…er (to Kaida) Can she kill?

Kaida: Uh, well, I'm not sure, she's never done it before…or tried…

A: **_That's because I'm more like Kagero, I'd prefer to keep you alive at least long enough to listen to you beg for mercy._**

Q: Eh hehehehehehehe…(Sweats)

A: **_Next question, mortal._**

Q: Yes ma'am! Er, uh…Is the prince's name _really_ Ryuujin? And if so, how in the world would could the king have learned Japanese when it seems nearly impossible that he could have been there?

A: **_The prince's name is as the author has chosen it to be. But I'm sure we would all like to know how she explains it's origin later on. That will be interesting._**

Q: This really does sorta seem like a prince/OC fic, but I thought the authoress said it wouldn't be.

A: **_Quite the contrary, I don't ever remember the authoress saying anything of the sort. Kaida is simply trying to intimidate her way into keeping the story the way she thinks it should be. The authoress, as you may or may not know from her other fanfics, is a hopeless romantic, and while this story does not appear to be a romance at first glance, you can't really judge a book by its cover, can you?_**

Kaida: We're not—

A: **_I believe that is for the authoress to decide, Kaida. You're just going to have to wait and see what she decides. Hnhnhn._**

Rhea: Yeah! So there! (Kaida glares) (Grabs her tail and whimpers a hurried apology)

Q: You seem awfully pleased about the Dahaka becoming one of Kaida's Inner Demons, why is that?

A: **_Let's just say I feel he could be…useful to me._**

Q: Uh, useful for…what?

A: **_Hnhnhnhn, now, do you really want me to answer that?_**

Kaida: _I_ do!

A: **_I'm sure you do._**

Q: No, no, that's okay!

A: **_Next question, and hurry it up, I grow tired of this._**

Q: Wh-What, exactly, happened to make the Dahaka fall in love with Kukarkin?

A: **_Suffice it to say she was desperate enough to make a little…bargain, with me in order to get what she wanted._**

Q: Bargain? What kind of bargain?

A: **_The kind where she offers me something I want in exchange for something she wants._**

Q: But what did _you_ want?

A: **_My but you do like to pry, don't you?_**

Q: Never mind…

A: **_Any more questions?_**

Q: No, no, that's it!

Rhea: Yeah…er, so, uh, until next time!!!

Sacrosanct: **_And make sure you review mortals, the authoress is working very hard on this story in order to make daily updates, I believe she deserves some recognition._**

Rhea: (whimper) No, no, that's okay…I'm good. DON'T HURT ME!!! (Runs and hides)


	12. The Pink Flamingo

A/N: I know you're out there, I can smell your soul.

XP

Something wet and cool was being dabbed all over my face, my skin tingled slightly, as though the water itself were relaxing my muscles through contact.

I was lying down with my head resting on some oddly shaped pillow, and as consciousness returned to me, I only vaguely remembered what had just happened, and was only beginning to have the mind to wonder exactly _what_ I'd gotten myself into.

The Dahaka, why, _why_ did I even _consider_ letting him have residence in The Manor with all the others? Why!? Was I suddenly becoming sympathetic to some of my demons now? Well, to be perfectly honest, Kukarkin was never really as bad as she _could_ have been, she always seemed to know when to pull back before I snapped, and when she crossed the line, it was only an inch or so.

And, perhaps, the idea of the Dahaka having the ability, the _capacity_ to feel anything resembling _love_, towards _Kukarkin_ of all people, was so ludicrous, so utterly sensational, that I lost my reasoning, and decided to suddenly become a hopeless romantic and let him and Kukarkin have their happy ending, however wrong and disturbing that was.

And the sight of Kukarkin actually begging for something she honestly wanted with all her heart would be enough to blow anyone's mind out of the water.

"Are you alright?" I heard, and I opened my eyes to see the prince's face looming over me, a cloth in his hand. He looked quite concerned, but relieved when I opened my eyes.

**_"I, I think so."_** I answered, **_"Probably not, though. Oh gods what the hell was I thinking?!"_** I asked, sitting up from what I suddenly realized had been his lap, and deciding not to say anything about it. **_"Prince, next time I decide to do something that stupid, go find a nice big war horse and run me over."_** I said, wincing from the massive headache that was making itself known.

"It can't be as bad as all that." He said, frowning as I struggled to my feet. He offered me his arm, which I decided to take, and helped me over to the water fountain. "He's not like Sacrosanct, is he? He can be controlled, right?"

**_"It's not that."_** I sighed, bending over the fountain and staring at my reflection in it. A smooth black face with symmetrical golden markings. I stared at it for a moment longer, I had never seen my reflection in this form before now, and now that I did…there was an unearthly beauty to it. To the markings, the way they snaked from my cheeks down my neck to become like a frame for the golden eye at my chest, which now possessed all 12 sand tanks, and crescents, which I hardly ever used unless I needed to. Unlike the Dark Prince, my body had no extra stuff to it, no shoulder horns or anything, and the golden markings were all over, they were smaller too, more detailed, and more numerous.

"What is it then?" Asked the prince, bringing me out of my reverie.

**_"I guess I just…"_** I sighed, took one of the rings from my inventory, and then put it on my finger so that I could change back then and there. "I just don't know what to make of it all." I told him once the transformation was complete. "And…" I looked down at my boots, frowning, "There's something…something weird going on, with Sacrosanct." I turned my attention back on him. "Do you remember when I first put this on, and she swore to kill Kaileena?"

"How could I forget?" He replied.

"Well, if she wanted Kaileena dead…why is it that she helped us send her home, just like that? Told us how to do it, what to do? It doesn't make sense." I said.

"Perhaps she likes the idea of you being the Empress of Time." The prince offered.

I bit my lip, "All my life her biggest interference was in the fact that she doesn't want me dead, no, she wants me alive, and she does everything in her power to keep it that way. It makes me wonder…why? I know that if I die, she dies, and she knows this, and it could just be her own self-preservation gene kicking in, but _why_? She's always been the least active, most docile, most…invisible, in spite of being the most powerful. What is it that _she_ has to live for? Perhaps telling Kukarkin that the Dahaka could become one of my inner demons was because she actually _wanted_ the Dahaka as my inner demon, but if that was the case, then _why_? To give me yet _another_ weapon for defense? Don't I have enough already? Does she somehow expect me to go up against an entire army by myself or something? I wish I knew what was going on with her. Why did she bring me here in the first place? What's her game?" I chewed on my thumb nail in agitation.

"Do we have to worry about it now?" He asked, and I could see in his eyes that the prince was tired. Tired of this place, tired of the worry, of the running, of the constant going, going, going, of the fighting. He longed for home, why shouldn't he?

But there was something that had to be done first.

"I suppose we don't. But before we leave for Babylon, before we even return to the present…let's go visit Kaileena's library."

XD

There were no more monsters of course, they all disappeared when Kaileena had gone, and though we still had the structure itself to get through, that was no longer a problem either. I was the newly appointed Empress of Time, wasn't I? And this island was now mine, I was now the mistress of it, and so it stood to reason that I should have Kaileena's ability to teleport myself and others around at my leisure.

Which, I did, and this made the trip a _lot_ faster and a _lot_ less hassle.

"What do you expect to find here?" Asked the prince as I began fingering through the hundreds of books that lined this wall alone.

"It's not a matter of looking for anything, really," I said, "It's more a matter of making sure that no one gets their hands on any of these that isn't suppose to. Look at this, I doubt these books are even from this world. I don't even recognize what this is suppose to be a picture of…kinda looks like a phoenix-type bird with a woman's front torso—oh, no, wait, that's a sphinx! Okay, yeah, I see."

"'What Is The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything?' Interesting." The prince read.

"42." I answered automatically.

"Pardon?"

"The ultimate answer to life, the universe, and everything is 42. It's figuring out what the ultimate question is that's the doozy." I told him. "What is that, the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?" I asked, looking over at the book he had. But what he'd read had actually been the front cover. He handed it over to me, and I opened it up. Sure enough, it was. "Yep, it _is_. Huh, strange, I guess other worlds other than mine have books like this…"

"Other than yours? Do you mean to say you're actually from another world?" Asked the prince, almost incredulously.

"And this surprises you? Oh come on, you can't honestly tell me you didn't suspect before now that this 'other land' I come from is actually on another _world_." I said, and he sighed.

"No, I suppose it _doesn't_ surprise me. I guess I just, sort of hoped that it was a place we might one day be able to get to, so that I could see your home too, and where _you_ come from." He confessed. "It also confuses me that you seem to know a lot about this world too, other than just things having to do with this island."

"That's because our two worlds are very similar." I told him, "Believe it or not, Persia, India, Egypt, and all those other places are also in my world as well. Things are nearly identical like that, and I imagine there are many other worlds that are the same too. If you're wondering about the whole 'species' question that goes into that, you needn't bother. My mother and father _were_ human, no questions there, the same human as in this world. It's simply that my parents both came from different parts of that world, which accounts for the red hair and the slightly odd shape of my eyes. Simply put, the people from this world and mine are the same." I explained.

"So," He began as if just checking, "If there was a portal to allow our worlds to more fully interact with one another, could our people mate together and produce offspring?"

"Yep." I answered, "Definitely. That's the definition of a same species race after all; that they can reproduce with one another. So, no worries, I'm not inhuman because I'm from another world, no, I've got Sacrosanct to thank for that." I told him.

"Good to know." He said.

"Yeah, hey wait, _what_?!" I demanded, rounding on him, but he'd already moved on to another shelf of books, looking through them to find something that might be interesting. I leered at him. Exactly _what_ was he getting at? He wasn't going to try and hook me up with his cousin or something, was he?

I could think of a _list_ of things that can, and _will_ go wrong with that plan.

"Well." I said, deciding to let it slide, "Either we take all these with us, or I destroy them. We can't leave them here." I said, putting the books back.

"Can't you take them with us? You can carry a lot of other things without it having to be on your person, why not these? It would be a shame to waste such knowledge." The prince offered.

**_"The Empress had obtained quite a lot of dangerous artifacts and books over the years, it would be a good idea to have them with us. You may not realize it, but all the items that you 'store' go into the Manor, into a locked part of it that your other demons can't get into without your permission. I suggest you send them out to go find all of these artifacts and put them in those rooms."_** Sacrosanct told us. **_"The prince is right, it would be quite a waste."_**

"I'm not sure how I feel about you agreeing with him." I said, frowning.

**_"Why Kaida, you don't trust me anymore?"_**

"I don't think I ever really trusted you to begin with." I answered.

**_"Not like you've had much choice in the matter though."_**

"Exactly."

**_"Fine then, have them all destroyed. It really makes no difference to me, I'm just trying to help. I don't care either way."_** She said. **_"It's not as though following my advice has led you wrong, though, is it?"_** She pointed out.

She was right. "No," I relented, "I suppose not. Alright then." I turned to an open area, and there appeared the Sisters, Kukarkin, Gorra, Monigan, Kroich, Tak, Aggle, Sullian, and two other less powerful demons. A large sphinx-like character named Phirus, and a bird like creature with the shape of a man, four winged arms, large hand-like claws, and the head of a vulture whose name is Deskor, the same creature from my nightmares.

**"You have called us into service? For what purpose?"** Deskor's shrieking, high-pitched voice asked.

_"As if you weren't aware already."_ Monigan said, rolling her eyes to the ceiling.

"Yeah, you just have to make me say it, don'tcha?" I snorted, "I'm giving you access to the sealed part of the Manor so that you can go around the island and find anything of particular interest. Like books or powerful artifacts. Stray swords that were left over from sand monsters don't count. Though if you want them for yourselves you can have them. When you find something, just take it back to the Manor and keep looking."

**"So we are to act as your slaves once again, human?"** Deskor demanded.

_"Birdie!!! Birdie do the sea-gull thing!!!"_ Aggle exclaimed, scrambling over to Deskor, who, too late, realized his danger and was unable to escape before she latched around his waist, which was the highest part of him she could reach. _"Do the sea-gull thing! Do the sea-gull thing!"_

**"I shall not!"** Deskor answered with as much dignity as he could with a human-sized doll figure around his middle, and he attempted to get out of her grip without much success.

_"Oh come on, Deskor, you'll make Aggle sad, and we don't want a sad Aggle, do we?"_ Phirus said, looming over Deskor and looking amused.

"What's the sea-gull thing?" Asked the prince.

"Oh you wouldn't really get it, it's a play off of a story involving sea animals with the ability to speak. And all the sea-gulls said was one thing, which was quite amusing, really, and it's even more funny when Deskor does it." I said, smirking up at him and crossing my arms, "Go ahead, Deskor, show the prince what the sea-gull thing is."

**"I shall not!"** He repeated defiantly.

_"Do iiiiiiiittt!!!"_ The Sisters moaned, coming around him, _"Do iiiiiit!!!"_

_"Yeah, go ahead, Deskor, do the only thing you possibly can to make the girls happy."_ Kroich said, snickering.

_"Do it!"_ Said Gorra, **"Do it!"** Said Kukarkin at the same time.

"They all seem to be conspiring against you, I guess you have no choice, do you?" I said, thoroughly enjoying Deskor's discomfort.

He glared at me, **"Oh very well, very well!!!"** He exclaimed, throwing his arms into the air. He then took on a chirpy voice and began squawking, **"Mine? Mine, mine mine! Mine, mine? Mine, mine!"**

Aggle squealed and began running around him in circles like a little kid, _"He did it! He did it!!!"_ She cheered.

"Yes, he did, and now that _that's_ all done with, mind getting to work?" I asked them all.

_"Oh very well, but only because you asked so nicely."_ Gorra said airily, and the lot of them disappeared, save for the Sisters who had decided to converge upon the books. It was interesting to watch them swarm and dart around one section of a wall for a few seconds, and then watch them go to another wall with other shelves, leaving that one completely bear.

I was about to turn to the prince in order to strike up conversation, when Aggle appeared, and she had, in her arms, a teddy bear, _"Look who I found!"_ She squealed, holding it out for me to take. _"Isn't he just **precious**?!"_ she cooed, looking at the bear over my shoulder.

"Why, is there a _teddy bear_ here?" Asked The prince blankly.

"Don't ask _me_!" I answered. I knew perfectly well what the teddy bear weapon was for, but I didn't expect it to actually_ exist_! I mean, _come on_!!! What the heck!?

_"Can I keep him?!"_ Aggle begged.

"Yes, yes you can have him." I answered, handing her back the bear, which she cuddled and then put into her own room before leaving to find other stuff.

She hadn't been gone for two seconds when Monigan showed up…holding out another of the secret secondary weapons, _"I found a hockey stick. Does this count as a dangerous object that we don't want to leave around for the rest of the world to discover and, god forbid, make a sport out of?"_ she asked.

I slapped myself in the face, "Ha, ha, very funny. Go ahead and put it in the Manor." I told her.

The next thing to come to our attention was the Pink Flamingo weapon, which, oddly enough, Deskor produced. **"I do not appreciate the joke."** He said, waving it at me,

"What do you mean you don't appreciate the—you started flirting with it, didn't you?" I asked, smirking at him.

Deskor's face colored scarlet, **"I did not! I simply thought that it was a rather lovely lady and was trying to present myself a gentleman!"** He answered swiftly, **"I mean, no, I simply find it offensive."** He amended. And his face became sour as I smirked at him, and the prince let out a snort of hardly-suppressed laughter. With a mortified cry, he threw the flamingo into the air and disappeared, swearing.

I caught the flamingo and smirked at it, remembering how it could knock back enemies so well. "I think I will keep this." I said, giving it a test swipe.

"Um, _why_?" The prince asked.

I smacked him with it, and he went flying into an empty bookshelf. "_That's_ why." I answered, laughing at the stunned look on his face.

"Let me see that." He said, trying to grab it, but I held him back with my foot.

"Oh no you don't!" I said, still laughing, "It's mine now! And besides, how would you look carrying this around as your secondary weapon? They'd laugh their butts off at you in Babylon." I said, giving him another whack to send him flying again.

"That's not fair!" He exclaimed, though he, too, was laughing. "You're going to have an even easier time fighting because your enemies will laugh themselves silly at your weapon! You don't need that kind of advantage!" He said.

"Ho _ho_! So _that's_ why you want it is it!? The secret of the Prince of Persia's unbeatable fighting technique revealed!" I said, dodging out of his way as he made another grab for it.

The next time he tried to grab the flamingo, he, instead, grabbed my wrists so that I couldn't hit him back with it, and I was forced to drop the flamingo in order to struggle against his attempts to push me against the wall. To my surprise, I was actually putting up a decent fight.

"You've, gotten, stronger…" The prince said with a voice full of effort.

"Thanks, I, try." I answered, hearing my own voice straining as well as we both fought for victory. Of course, he had both a muscle and height advantage over me, so it wasn't long before I found myself pinned against the wall, a victorious gleam in the prince's eyes. "Alright, alright, you win! You can have the flamingo, may your father laugh himself hoarse upon seeing it on your belt." I sighed, rolling my eyes, "Happy now?" I asked, giving him a sardonic look.

"No, not really." He answered in a hushed voice, and I suddenly realized just how close he was. His face was inches from mine, and I felt my heart stop beating, I could hardly breath. He was way, _way_ too close.

"Yeah?" I said, trying to sound airy and sarcastic, "What, you want the teddy bear too? You'll have to fight Aggle for—" I said, but he cut me off.

His lips touched mine once, and then took them captive. Hungrily, passionately, he kissed me.

He kissed me.

XP

Kaida: I QUIT!!!

Kioko: Empty threat, Kaida. You're a fictional character, if you quit you cease to exist.

Kaida: DON'T CARE!!! I AM _NOT_ DOING THIS! IT IS SAPPY, RIDICULOUSLY CLICHÉ, AND UNBEARABLY PREDICTABLE!!!

Kioko: I'm afraid you had the misfortune of having a hopeless romantic for an authoress.

Rhea: I WILL HAVE MY SAPPY LOVE STORY WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!!! RAAAAAAAAH!!!

Kaida: (rounds on prince) WHAT DO _YOU_ THINK OF ALL THIS!?

Prince: I'm staying out of it!

Kioko: Well what do you know, the boy has brains as well as brawns! You don't see that very often, got yourself quite the catch here, Kaida.

Kaida: I DO NOT!!! HE'S NOT MINE, HE'S FARAH'S!!!

Kioko: In Cannon, yes, but in the world of fanfiction, not always. And in _this_ fanfiction, he's yours. Heheheheheh.

Kaida: You are ENJOYING my discomfort aren't you!?

Kioko: Is it that obvious?

Q: What in the world is Sacrosanct playing at?

Rhea: Wait! We haven't decided who's going to do the FAQ yet! You can't start just like that!!!

Kioko: Looks like they did.

Kaida: I can answer that question though, NO FREAK'N IDEA!

Q: How come Kaida took everything from the Island of Time?

Kaida: So that Zervan (The Vizier) wouldn't find it all and realize that killing me could make him a sand god.

Kioko: If you're going to die, you could at least not give the enemy a weapon in doing it, right?

Kaida: Right.

Q: Has the prince really fallen in love with Kaida?

Kioko: Nope, he kissed her _just_ to tick her off.

Prince: Excuse me? I like to think that I would _not_ sink so low as that.

Kioko: Then _do_ you love her?

Prince: Er, um, well, I mean…(Sweats nervously) Maybe there's…_some_ attraction, (to Kaida's glare) but no more than that! I mean, you're a very attractive, you…oh gods…

Kioko: Open mouth, insert foot, chew toes vigorously.

Rhea: (snickering)

Prince: I BLAME _YOU_ FOR THIS!!!

Kioko: I don't think she cares, personally.

Rhea: I WILL HAVE MY SAPPY LOVE STORY AND YOU WILL BE ROMANTIC WHETHER IT'S IN YOUR CHARACTER OR NOT DANGIT!!!

Prince: But I—

Kioko: You really don't have a choice I'm afraid.

Kaida: I want a lawyer!

Rhea: Well, that's all for now! Until next chapter!!!


	13. For Tonight

A/N: AND NOW! THE MOMENT YOU HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!!! THE "LAST CHAPTER"

Or _is_ it!? O.o

XP

I couldn't tell you how long it was before his lips finally left mine. Moments, hours, days, months, I was so stunned. I couldn't understand _where_ it had come from. Had the hints and signs simply flown right over my head? Or was it that I simply denied them vehemently because I didn't want to love him back? But then, _did_ I love him back? If I was honest with myself, did I love him?

Yes, I think I did, but not in _that_ way.

When he broke off, he got down on one knee, taking my hand into his, he kissed the black tattoo upon the back of it, and said, "Kaida, the question I've been wanting to ask you, since before I found the mask, before we faced Kaileena the first time for me is…Will you marry me?"

I couldn't speak. How could I? This was the last thing I had expected from him! _Marry_ him!? I wouldn't even _date_ him! Well, perhaps, maybe I would. But it'd be just out of curiosity, and the goodnight kiss would be out of the question. It'd be more like an outing as friends, nothing more.

Don't get me wrong, there was _nothing_ the matter with the prince. He was hot, no getting around _that_, but…

"You don't have to answer right away." He told me, pulling me back to reality. He was standing up now, and my hands were still in his own, and there was an affectionate look in his eyes. He bent down to kiss my other hand, but I took it back suddenly and slipped around him so that I could put some distance between the two of us.

"No," I said, and at first he didn't seem to understand, there was confusion in his face, "No, are you _insane_, no!" I exclaimed.

"What? Why—I don't understand, why not?" He asked, his eyes wide, and his expression turning into one of…hurt.

"Why not? You have to _ask_?!" I exclaimed.

"Kaida, if this has anything to do with your 'inner demons'—" He began, but I cut him off.

"Of _course_ this has something to do with my inner demons, this has _everything_ to do with my inner demons!" I said, grabbing at my bangs and pulling on them. "Look, I want you to stop and just _think_ about this, think about what you're setting yourself up for!" I said.

"Are you saying that you don't love me back?" He asked in a dead sort of voice, "After everything we've been through? After all of that…"

"Prince, I care about you, you are the first person I've _ever_ cared about, whom I've ever even been able to _allow_ myself to care about. I've been alone, all of my life. Alone with only my own demons for company. I have experienced terror beyond anything you can imagine, I have experienced hatred, anger, anguish, and agony. I've seen things that would turn your hair white and got to the point to where I could stand my ground. I know all about every negative emotion a person can possibly feel, and more. But that's all. Prince, I'm not _whole_! How am I even suppose to know if what I do feel for you is love of any sort? I don't want to see you hurt, I don't, but if this is love, it isn't the kind of love that you want from me. That kind of love…I don't know if I even have the _ability_ to love you, or anyone that way.

"Aside from that, have you thought about this? I mean, really_ though_ about what this could mean for your _country_? You have the greatest city on earth to rule over! You need to make a good, respectable, marriage to a woman who would _know what she's **doing**_! _I_ am not that woman! I am the last person your city needs as queen! Or any city, country, or kingdom for that matter! Empress of Time, yes, ruling over time, I can _do that_, I will _learn_, but not _people_! I have _no_ diplomatic skills, period! I would neither be a good wife, _nor_ a good queen!"

"You could _learn_!" He said, and there was pleading in his eyes, "I _have_ thought about this, I've thought a _lot_ about this! I'm not going to ask a great deal of you, I knew you wouldn't have any experience in the matter, but all I'm hearing from you are the reasons why it won't work, but I've _thought_ about it, and I believe that we could _make_ it work!" He put his hands on my shoulders, but I shrugged them off, shaking my head.

"There's one more thing, Prince. I can't have children." I told him.

His face fell and his eyes widened, "W-what?"

"Or rather, I _won't_ have children." I looked him in the eye, "And a king needs offspring, right? Well, that's another reason. I'll die a virgin if I have to, but I'm _not having children_." I told him.

"But, but _why_?!" He stammered, completely thrown by this.

"Why? Why? Do you have to _ask_!?" I exclaimed, throwing my hands in the air. "Remember when Kaileena told us that most people who have my kind of 'sickness' die of young ages? How many exceptions do you think there could possibly be? And of those exceptions, how many of them are able to take control of their inner demons in order to even _think_ of having a relationship. What if…what if this 'disease' can be transferred by blood? What if it's a genetic thing? As in, what if my _children_ are cursed with it as well?"

"You don't know if that—"

"No, that's the problem, I _don't_ know. Who could tell me? Who _would_ know? Sacrosanct won't tell me either way, I don't think _she_ knows either. So what if it _does_ happen? What if my children _are_ born with inner demons just like I was? Prince, I wanted to die when I was 5 years old, _5 years old_! I feel like I've been through enough, do you even realize how it would be if my children came to me, crying, and _begging_ me to kill them? Can you even _imagine_ how that would feel? And it would be my fault, Prince, my fault for bringing them into this world. I am _not_ going to be responsible for that. I'll have an abortion if I have to! It would be far kinder to kill them before they even take a breath of air than to let them live a single day, haunted and plagued by their own inner demons, before they're even able to understand anything, to understand what's going on, and why the world _hurts_ so much." I felt tears falling down my face, and the prince reached out to wipe them away, but I wouldn't let him, and he looked both hurt, and helpless. "No, prince. I love you, but not enough to risk it, not enough that I recognize it as anything other than sisterly affection, not enough to marry you.

"I'll be your friend, I'll be the little sister you never had, I'll be your companion through thick and thin, but _don't_ ask me to be your lover, or your wife. Don't ask me to love you when I don't even know if I _can_."

"Alright…" He said, and his voice was shaking as he stared at me, "Alright, your brother, okay, I'll be content with that. Just, just let me _hold_ you, let me at least _attempt_ to comfort you. Let me wipe away your tears, just don't alienate me again, don't push me away." He placed his hands on my shoulders, and this time I didn't knock them away. He drew me into his arms, and I didn't fight. I wrapped my arms around him myself, and buried my face in his chest. Allowing the faint scent of incense and some dark herb to fill me, and remind me of those purple beaches once more.

I let myself sob into his chest, the twisting and writhing emotions that had been turning my stomach into a pretzel came out of me in the form of those female water-works that have always turned men into putty.

XD

Rather than actually building a boat, we found Kaileena's little fleet in the present, and, being the new Empress of Time, I was able to reverse the flow of time upon one of them, making it more than seaworthy once again. It was already stocked with some supplies, as well as some straw beds and maps. There were two rooms below deck, one was full of crates whose food stuffs were now whole and preserved, and the other had the beds, maps, and other equipment for travel. We found Persia on the maps, and we set off into the night.

I was able to use the sands in order to avoid the rough waters as we got through the rocks that jutted up from the ocean bottom. But after that there was no need. The prince seemed to know everything under the sun about sailing, including how to work the fishing nets, and though the wind wasn't blowing in _exactly_ the right direction, the rudder kept us going where the compass and maps told us we should.

He showed me how to work the boat, how to raise the sails, and, when we found a telescope, showed me how to estimate and measure the distance in which I saw objects. There was a lot to learn about sailing that I had never known, and a lot of it required the upper body strength that, before all of this, was only a fleeting dream. But now which I had a considerable amount of.

A little late we realized that our water supply wasn't going to get us through the journey, and the prince began desperately searching for an island. But I suddenly remembered that Sullian use to drink water all the time, even though he never needed to, and he was very meticulous about purifying it. He would bring the water he collected to boil, and then he would collect the water's gas-form before it could evaporate, creating pure, distilled water. So I had him take the sea water and do just that.

The prince had never before had such pure, fresh water, and he marveled at it as we drank it over a meal of stale bread and cheese, or at least, we attempted to eat it, Sullian saw what we were eating and took our food. And only then did I remember his weird fascination with _cooking_.

Don't get me wrong, he could whip up a meal fit for a table of kings out of nothing, literally. The thing is, he always pretends to have either poisoned it, or peed on it. Not something you want to have the cook joke about while you're eating his food. The prince nearly died choking on his bowel of fried rice when Sullian tried to tell him that the soy sauce was actually his pee.

I sent Sullian back to the Manor for that, and heard him crying and moaning about this until I shut the door on him.

"He does it all the time." I told the prince, "Cooking me something absolutely delicious, and then pretending to have done something unpleasant to it, _while_ I'm eating. But I guess that's the price I have to pay." I said, rolling my eyes and sighing.

"What sort of powers do your other demons have? Or do I want to know?" He asked.

"Maybe. Next to Monigan and Sacrosanct, Kagero's one of the most powerful, and there are a number of things that he can do which you would much rather not be privy to, trust me. Not all of them have 'useful' abilities like Sullian. Kroich has power over ice, Taskol can manipulate fire, Aggle can manipulate humans, their bodies anyway, and has attempted to make me her version of 'beautiful' on several occasions. Which, for her, would involve turning my skin blue, giving me poisonous snakes for hair, and sewing up my mouth into a perpetual smile like hers."

The prince pushed his fried rice away, "I'm not sure I want to eat anymore." He said, and I laughed.

"You better, I'm not going to let Sullian out like this all the time, even if he _does_ cook like a dream." I said, pushing the bowl back to him. "Wemlast, you've never met her, she's probably one of the most frightening, and maybe more or less as powerful as Kagero. I won't tell you what _she_ can do. Kukarkin can make anything she touches decay, erode, deoxidize, you name it, and can turn the men she kisses into dust. Gorra can turn things into stone temporarily if she changes her eye color to black, and permanently if they become gold. Deskor is one of the weaker ones, doesn't have much of a power, but he can control wind so that's something." I explained. "There are others, a lot of others, but, thankfully, most of them have been sleeping for a few years and only wake up when I want them to, which I practically never do."

"What about that giant lion-shaped man?" Asked the prince.

"Phirus? He's nothing special, and he's not really a man, or a woman. A lot of them are genderless, Sullian is another that doesn't have a gender. Phirus is fast, can fly, graceful, and can tell you riddles that will turn your head." I told him. "Most of which don't even have answers, he just likes to watch you squirm trying to figure it out."

"I _hate_ it when someone asks you a riddle that has no answer." Said the prince, scowling. "There is one riddle that has no answer which I know. 'What creature walks on four legs in the morning, on two in the afternoon, and on three in the evening?' There is no such creature, and I actually attempted to answer…what are you laughing about?" He asked, frowning at me.

"It's just that, there _is_ an answer to _that_ one." I told him.

"Oh? What is it?" He asked.

"It's human." I answered.

"What?"

"Human! In the morning, or when we are children, we crawl on all fours. In the afternoon, when we have grown up, we walk on both our legs. And in the noon, when we are old, we walk with a cane." I explained.

He stared at me, and then hit himself in the head, making me laugh. "Riddles like these always have an extra meaning to them. Sometimes some things about them are metaphoric." I told him, finishing off my teriyaki chicken.

We discussed more riddles, I told him some of the ones that Phirus had once told me, and he tried to solve them even though there was no answer, until he finally gave up and relented that, yes, they _had_ to be unanswerable. But there were some riddles that _he'd_ heard which I was able to figure out, and laugh at him for hitting himself in the head over.

Our boat sped across the sea, and we met very little turbulence so far. My dreams? They always started out as nightmares in the beginning, and then they would fade away to be replaced with those purple beaches. In the mornings I would be awakened gently by movement, feeling the warm body that accompanied me to those beaches leave, and then straighten the blanket over me up, which I would only use for a few more minutes before getting up myself.

We didn't talk about it, I pretended not to be aware that the prince wasn't using his own bed, but he knew, he knew that I was aware. How could I not be? I wasn't having nightmares anymore, and the only thing that drove them away…was him.

One day I was looking out at the wide ocean, just watching it, feeling the wind in my face and hair, when the prince came up behind me, and wrapped his arms around me, resting his chin on my shoulder, "I'm not giving up on you, you know." He told me, and I felt his scent envelop me like a cloud.

"Then you're an idiot." I muttered, turning my head and looking away from him.

"I don't care about the consequences, Kaida, I don't care. I love you. I'll be content with companion, with friend, for the time being. But I'm not going to stop until you're my wife." He said.

"Since when did you learn such pretty words?" I asked, shrugging out of his grip. He let me go, but reluctantly, and he tried not to let me see the hurt in his eyes, but I knew it was there. "You'll find someone else, Prince, someone better for you. Someone who will make you happy." Yes, like, say, FARAH!!!

"_You_ make me happy." He insisted, stepping forward, but he didn't touch me, like it seemed he was about to.

"Happy?" I snorted and looked away, leaning with my back against the rail this time, "Prince, how in the _world_ can I possibly make you happy when I don't even know how to be happy myself?" I asked.

"By just being you, by being Kaida." He insisted, spreading his hands out.

"Okay, prince? Just stop it, stop it. Stop being romantic, stop trying to convince me, just stop _loving_ me like that. No matter how many times you ask me to marry you, the answer is going to be no, and it'll be on _your head_ if you ever manage to get me drunk enough to say yes." I told him.

He gave me a wry smile, "Fine by me if it works." He said with dry humor.

"It would be an empty marriage and you know it." I told him as he came over to lean against the railing with me.

"Yes…it would…" He murmured. "And I wouldn't count it if you were drunk. But I'm not going to give up on you, never." He said.

"Never is a very long time, prince. And you don't have the luxury of waiting that long. When your father dies pressure will be put on you to get married so that your blood line will continue." I told him.

"Perhaps by that time I will be able to convince you." He said.

"You're more stubborn than a mule and just as selfish." I huffed, staring up at the cloudless skies. "No, drop it." I told him before he could open his mouth again. "No more today, Prince. Just let it go."

"I can't, Kaida, I can't just see you as a friend. I want you so much it _hurts_, don't you understand?" He asked, trying to take my hand, but I drew away from him.

"No, I don't, and that's the problem, isn't it? I don't understand how you're feeling, how can I _possibly_ understand how your feeling when I never even loved my own parents?" I looked him in the face, "I don't want to hurt you, I don't, but I can't be any more than your friend. Once you realize that, once you get that through your thick skull, once we reach Babylon, there will be plenty of other woman for you to choose from. Whole, _willing_ women, princesses or duchesses, which were born knowing how to be a wife, how to raise children, how to rule alongside their husbands. That's the sort of woman you need." I told him.

"But that's not the sort of woman I _want_! I want _you_!" he practically yelled, pulling on his growing hair in frustration.

"I _know_!" I yelled back at him, "But wanting me, loving me, that doesn't _change_ anything! You can't have everything you want!"

"I _understand_ that." He said, his vehemence melting away, "I know, but to me, the reasons why I can't have _you_ just don't seem good enough. How do you expect to learn to love, if you don't even give it the chance?" He asked.

"I don't know _how_, okay? Haven't I told you this already? I don't know how to love! I don't know if I _can_!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands in the air.

"Then why don't you let me show you?" He asked, "Let me show you, let me love you." He took my hands in his, and I couldn't find the will to pull them away as he kissed my fingers.

"Are you telling me that you're an expert now?" I asked, my voice shaky.

"No." He answered, "But I have loved before, in another time. I know how it feels, and, trust me, the love I felt then, is nothing to what I feel now." He placed my arms around his neck and snaked his own around my middle. "Please." He said.

"If I let you kiss me now, it'll only be that much harder for you to let me go." I told him, pulling back just a bit so that our faces weren't so close.

"I don't care, I don't intend to let you go." He said.

"This is…stupid." I said, feeling both my breath and my will weakening as he drew closer.

"I don't care." He repeated and, once again, his lips were upon mine.

My heart beat loudly in my ears, what was going on? I could hardly breath, much less struggle out of his grip. My body moved of its own accord, and I found myself kissing him back. Encouraged, he tilted his head in order to more fully possess my lips, my mouth opened slightly, and his tongue entered it, flicking over my teeth and then drawing back, then diving back in to taste me again. Every time he did this I felt tingling rushes shoot throughout my body, I could feel it in my fingers and toes, my hairs felt as though they were standing on end as goose bumps appeared on my skin.

I'd only read, only watched, only ever imagined being kissed like this, or even kissed at all, and none of that could have prepared me for the experience itself. It was like flying across the ocean, flying to those purple beaches with the white trees and gold grasses. My heart was beating fast in my chest, I felt almost light-headed, like it was a narcotic rather than the prince's lips. Something like fire was burning in my chest, and was spreading to parts of me that I didn't want to acknowledge.

His hands were moving, stroking my middle gently, down over my hip and then up my back to my neck. My fingers laced through his hair, and I pushed my own tongue into his mouth, no longer satisfied with taking his taste from the entrance of his, wanting to taste him myself, to experience it. My brain was screaming at me, my common sense was telling me to stop now, to get away, but that voice was fading away. I had no idea what I was doing, everything I knew from books or television seemed to have all jumped out the window without even leaving me so much as a note. But _gods_, it felt _so good_.

He drew me down so that we were lying on the deck, and his lips moved from my mouth down to my neck. Kissing those markings, the eye-shaped mark on my chest, the one that snaked along my right neck down my arm. I was breathing heavily, in small gasps, I had no more fight left in me, I don't think I even had the ability to fight anymore.

"You're so beautiful." He whispered to me, the breath and the feel of his voice sent shivers down my spine. He kissed those markings, trailing them down my arm.

"I'm not…_that_ beautiful…" I murmured.

"Oh yes you are." He told me in a breathy, but firm voice, "You're skin is beautiful." He kissed my hand, "These markings, they're beautiful." He kissed my palm. "Your swords," He fingered the gash-like mark across my wrist where my sword came out of, "Are beautiful." He kissed it. "The way you fight, the way you move, your voice, your scent, your hair, your eyes, your body, your face, everything, everything about you!" He kissed me on the lips, "Even your sand form possesses a dark beauty that intoxicates me. In my eyes, you are the most beautiful woman in this world, or any world for that matter. Yes, other men may not agree with me, may find other woman who are, to their eyes, more attractive, but not me, not ever. Please," He murmured, kissing me on the neck again, "Say you'll be mine. I've never begged for anything before in my life, but I will swallow my pride and beg for you if I have to." It was so sappy, so cheesy, so corny, so utterly like a bad love story, one of those where everything turns out right in the end, even though you know that doesn't happen in real life.

But I was drinking in every word. I was so weak.

"I…" I murmured. So easy, it would be so easy to just say 'yes' to him, and I wanted to, I realized, I wanted to say yes _so much_. But I _couldn't_. "I can't…" I whispered, and I felt tears rolling down my eyes, "I can't, _you_ can't, _we **can't**_. Try to understand."

"For tonight, then." He whispered, "For tonight, be mine, just for tonight, please. Please. For a while, let's pretend that the rest of the world doesn't exist anymore, let's pretend that you _are_ whole, let's pretend that the problems don't exist. For tonight."

_For a while sunlight has faded  
For a while the liveboats have passed  
For a while children corroded  
And all we see is utopian grasp _

I knew, I _knew_ I was setting myself up for more misery, setting _him_ up for a world of pain. _Just for tonight._ I told myself, _Haven't I suffered enough? Just tonight, just this once let me feel what it's like to be in love, to be loved by someone so much._

**_"You wanted a new life."_** Sacrosanct said in my mind, **_"And you've wanted to be loved for longer than you know, and more than you realize. If you're worried about a child, don't. I will make sure that doesn't happen. For once in your life, trust me. Let yourself have this bit of happiness, take it, and live for it."_**

"Okay." I murmured, not sure if I was talking to Sacrosanct or the prince, but they both heard me, "Okay, for tonight."

_For tonight I feel not sorry  
For tonight a cigarette for god  
For tonight don't dare to call me  
'Cause I'm not here. I'm out for a walk_.

(A/N: Warning! We're about to get into the reason why this fic is rated T. If you care, skip down to the end of the next part of the song. But I doubt you do so I'll just shut up)

The prince took me down below deck and laid me upon my straw bed. He shed his clothing and took off mine. He seemed to be drinking in the sight of me and I, though I wouldn't admit it, was doing the same. He kissed me everywhere.

He was slow and careful, I winced at first, but the pain wasn't much, and it was gone as swiftly as it had come, replaced by the narcotic that was the Prince of Persia.

I wasn't sure if what I was feeling was lust, passion, love, or a combination of the three. But I was feeling _something_, and even though that something hurt like hell, I wanted more of it. More, more! I was becoming addicted.

_For a life, for god and the nation  
For a life forget how to love  
For a life walking courageous  
And all we fear is the heaven above _

Why, why him of all people? Why? Why couldn't he have been some noble, and _not_ a prince, not _the_ prince? It might have worked then, he might have been able to get away with having a childless wife, to have no real duty to his throne.

Tears were in my eyes, I was wishing so hard, I was sobbing, holding onto him, and sobbing after the most wonderful thing I'd ever experienced in my life. He kissed me, he kissed my tears and his tongue gently wiped them away. "It doesn't have to end here, with this night. It doesn't have to end." He told me.

"Yes it does." I whispered, "Yes it does."

_And for now I drink to the faithless  
To the weak, the crippled, the tall  
And for now, tomorrow and anon  
Don't you know I don't care at all?_

The dream I had of those purple beaches, with him, him always near me, always holding me, they became dark, with no sun, no moon, and no stars. The island was filled with a dangerous beauty, peaceful, but morbid.

And I knew that no matter how much he loved me, no matter how much I loved him. I would never truly escape from these dark dreams.

It simply was not meant to be.

_For a while sunlight has faded  
For a while the life boats have passed  
For a while children corroded  
And all we see is utopian grasp_

**_That is not true. You simply insist upon letting yourself suffer. Listen to me, Kaida, you wanted a new life, I gave it to you, you wanted love, and here it is, staring you in the face. This is your one chance for even a semblance of happiness. Take it! Haven't you suffered enough? TAKE IT!!!_**

**_You're not listening to me, are you? Fine, suffer if you want to, it's all you've ever known. You're more secure in your suffering, because you understand it better. You are a coward. _**

**_I want you to live, Kaida, you have no idea how much I want you to stay alive. I may have my own ulterior motives, but I know better than to allow you to stay at the breaking point. Your own resolve, your own will to live is far too weak. That's why I want you to be happy, to be with the prince. He will be able to fix that for me, and you? You will get what you've wanted, though you never realized it. _**

**_This isn't finished, Kaida. I know you can't hear me now, I know you're not even bothering to listen, but this is far from over. _**

**_I still need you, and I may need you till the end of time if it takes that long. You are not going to die, and I am going to make sure of it if I have to force you to marry the prince myself! You don't think I'll do it? I will, just wait and see. _**

**_Just wait and see. _**

The End?

XP

Rhea: Nope!!! There's a sequel! So fear not my loyal minio-er, I mean, readers! More shall be on its way!!!

Kioko: More? Gods, I'm already choking on sappy, you're going to try and drown us aren't you?

Rhea: Hey! Believe it or not, most of my readers love sappy love stories as much as I do, so BACK OFF!!!

Kioko: Fine, fine, whatever. Oh, by the way, I thought you might like to know that Kaida and the Prince are no longer with us.

Rhea!.! (looks around) DANGIT!!! THEY'VE ESCAPED!!! Monigan!

Monigan: _I'm on it!_ (Dissappears) (Reappears with Kaida and the Prince)

Kaida: FOUL FOUL, NO FAIR, FOUL!!! YOU CAN'T USE MY OWN INNER DEMONS AGAINST ME!!!

Rhea: I can when they're willing to do what I say! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Kaida: I am _so_ not doing a sequel!

Prince: I quit too! You're turning me into one of those overly romantic men which women love and which make other men puke. I'm not doing it!

Rhea: Sorry to say that neither of you have a choice in the matter!

Kaida: You don't look sorry.

Rhea: Okay, I'm not. MUAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!111ONE

Kioko: You should see what she does to her _other_ characters, and _then_ decide whether you're going to complain or not.

Kaida: I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT SHE'S PLANNING!!!

Rhea: Oh, don't worry, compared to what I've got in store for Dark Dreams 2, this whole thing is going to seem like one elaborate prologue!

Prince: I'm scared!

Kaida: How do you think _I_ feel!? I'm the main character! I am _directly_ being manipulated by this b(beep)!!!

Rhea: We're not gonna do an FAQ for this chapter just 'cause I'm lazy and don't feel like it. So, see you in Dark Dreams 2!!!

Kioko: Can I go home now?

Rhea: Awwwwwww but, but, but…T.T


End file.
